What are the important features of Java 8 release?

I think :1- Lambda Expressions2- localdate

Java8  comes with enhanced power of JVM and more optimized coding language. 

Following are some of the updated key areas or new functionalities added

 

• Functional interfaces
• Lambda expressions
• Parallel operations, Streams & Accumulator
• Nashhorn: Java + JavaScript 
• JAVA New date / time APIs
• Concurrent accumulators

The Java SE8 release is the result of industry-wide development involving open review, weekly builds and extensive collaboration between Oracle engineers and members of the worldwide Java developer community via the OpenJDK Community and the JCP. Java SE8 enables enhanced developer productivity and significant application performance increases through reduced boilerplate code, improved collections and annotations, simpler parallel programming models and more efficient use of modern, multi-core processors. The key features of JDK8 are Project Lambda (JSR335), the Nashorn JavaScript Engine, a new Date and Time API (JSR310), a set of Compact Profiles and the removal of the "permanent generation" from the HotSpot Java Virtual Machine (JVM). A complete list of the new features and capabilities of JDK8 is available here. Oracle JDK8 has already achieved world record performance for4 socket systems on NEC Intel-based servers and for2 socket systems on Oracle SPARC T5 servers, with a performance improvement of12 to41% compared to JDK7 on the same Oracle configuration (NEC benchmark details, Oracle benchmark details). New client Java features and enhancements are also available as part of the latest JavaFXrelease within JDK8. These include: an embedded specific graphics stack, new UI controls, a Modena theme, functionality to enable developers to embed Swing content into JavaFX applications, new3D graphics features and additional HTML5 support. Backward compatibility of Java SE8 with previous versions of the platform preserves the skill sets of current Java software developers and helps to protect Java technology investments. Developers interested in getting started immediately with the Java SE8 release candownload the NetBeans Integrated Development Environment (IDE)8.0, which will allow them take advantage of the latest Java features, as well as enhanced support for HTML5. See related press release. The Eclipse team has been working on Java SE8 support for almost2 years and is on schedule to have an update release coinciding with the Java SE8 launch as a feature patch for the current Kepler SR2. The team has announced that Eclipse will also include support for Java SE8 in the upcoming "Luna" release scheduled for June2014. An updated Java SE8 training curriculum will be available soon from Oracle to help developers transition to Java SE8 and implement the latest platform enhancements. Oracle is also conducting a worldwide tour of Java User Groups (JUGs) and plans to deliver engaging, inspiring and educational events for nearly sixty JUGs in over twenty countries on six continents. Technical content will be available for JUGs that Oracle's Java Technology Evangelists will not be able to visit in person.

With Java8,you can define "functional interfaces" which lets you define static and concrete methods in your interface declaration which was not possible till Java7 as you could only have abstract methods.

 

One of it's features from many:))

the new features of java8 release is is Lambda Expression, new date and time APIs, new UI control and additional HTML5 support