Today's tips is how to initialize Java Maps in a type safe way with Java 8. With Java 9, we will get even better ways of creating immutable Maps. Until then, by defining two utility methods:

    public static <K, V> Entry<K, V> entry(K key, V value) {
        return new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(key, value);
    }

    public static <K, U> Collector<Entry<K, U>, ?, Map<K, U>> entriesToMap() {
        return Collectors.toMap(Entry::getKey, Entry::getValue);
    }

You Can Do This:

protected static Map<Integer, String> createMap() {
        return Stream.of(
                entry(0, "zero"),
                entry(1, "one"),
                entry(2, "two"),
                entry(3, "three"),
                entry(4, "four"),
                entry(5, "five"),
                entry(6, "six"),
                entry(7, "seven"),
                entry(8, "eight"),
                entry(9, "nine"),
                entry(10, "ten"),
                entry(11, "eleven"),
                entry(12, "twelve")).
                collect(entriesToMap());
    }

Read more in the original article at http://minborgsjavapot.blogspot.com/2014/12/java-8-initializing-maps-in-smartest-way.html

Follow the Java Holiday Calendar 2016 with small tips and tricks all the way through the winter holiday season.