What are functional interfaces in Java?

Java's functional interfaces are crucial to embracing functional programming paradigms. A functional interface contains just one abstract method. These interfaces are blueprints for lambda-expressions and method references. They allow developers to write code that is more concise and expressive. These interfaces essentially allow the use of functional concepts such as first-class and higher-order functions within Java. Java Course in Pune

Functional interfaces were a major enhancement to Java 8 as they allowed developers the ability to use lambda statements, which are a concise syntax for defining anonymous function. Java 8 introduced anonymous inner classes that were verbose, resulting in a cluttered code.

Functional interfaces are a key component of functional programming. They enable developers to create more expressive and maintainable code by using lambda expressions. These interfaces are a major evolution of the Java language. They encourage a functional style of programming, while still maintaining compatibility with older codebases.