Oracle JDK 8, also known as Java 8, is a version of the Java Development Kit (JDK) provided by Oracle. Java 8 introduced several significant features and enhancements to the Java programming language. Some of the notable features and changes in Java 8 include:

1. Lambda Expressions: Java 8 introduced lambda expressions, which allow you to write more concise and expressive code for working with collections and functional interfaces. Lambda expressions enable the use of functional programming concepts in Java.

2. Stream API: The Stream API is closely related to lambda expressions and provides a powerful and functional way to work with collections of data. Streams allow you to perform operations like filtering, mapping, and reducing on collections in a declarative style.

3. Default Methods: Java 8 introduced the concept of default methods in interfaces, allowing interface methods to have default implementations. This feature helps in evolving existing interfaces without breaking the classes that implement them.

4. Method References: Method references provide a shorthand notation for referring to methods by their names. They are often used in combination with lambda expressions to improve code readability.

5. Functional Interfaces: Java 8 introduced the @FunctionalInterface annotation to mark interfaces that have a single abstract method, which is a key requirement for lambda expressions.

6. Date and Time API: The new Date and Time API (java.time) introduced in Java 8 provides a modern and comprehensive set of classes for working with dates, times, durations, and time zones. It addresses many of the shortcomings of the old java.util.Date and java.util.Calendar classes.

7. Nashorn JavaScript Engine: Java 8 included the Nashorn JavaScript engine, which provides a more modern and performant way to execute JavaScript code within Java applications.

8. New Collectors: The Stream API introduced new collectors for performing common operations on streams, such as grouping, partitioning, and more.

9. Parallel Streams: Java 8 allows you to easily parallelize operations on streams using parallel streams, which can significantly improve the performance of data processing tasks on multi-core processors.

10. Improved Annotations: Java 8 introduced the @Repeatable annotation and enhanced support for annotations, making it more convenient to work with annotations in certain scenarios.

It’s worth noting that Java 8 was a significant release with a strong focus on enhancing the language’s capabilities for functional programming. It has been widely adopted in the Java development community and has had a lasting impact on how Java developers write code. . Organizations and developers are encouraged to consider more recent versions of Java, such as Java 11 (a long-term support version) or later, for ongoing development and support.