Final answer:
An intermediate operation is a stream operation that converts the stream it is applied to into another stream. Therefore, the correct option is: - an intermediate operation
Step-by-step explanation:
An intermediate operation is a stream operation that transforms a stream into another stream. It allows us to perform multiple operations on a stream in a chained manner. Some examples of intermediate operations in Java streams are filter, map, and sorted.
A stream operation that converts the stream it is applied to into another stream is known as an intermediate operation. These operations form part of a chain of operations on a stream, culminating in a terminal operation which produces the final result.
The stream operation that converts the stream it is applied to into another stream is called an intermediate operation. These operations are applied to a stream to transform it into another stream and they can be chained together to perform complex data manipulations. Intermediate operations don't produce a result; instead, they create a new stream after applying the operation such as filtering or mapping. An example could be using .map() to convert each element in a stream to another form. It's only when a terminal operation is invoked that the stream pipeline is executed and the final result is produced. Terminal operations are typically operations such as .collect(), .forEach(), or .reduce() that signify the end of the stream chain and generate a non-stream result.
A stream operation in Java that transforms the elements of a stream into another stream is referred to as an intermediate operation. Intermediate operations in the Java Stream API are operations that are applied to a stream and produce a new stream as their result. These operations do not execute until a terminal operation is invoked on the stream. Common intermediate operations include `map`, `filter`, `sorted`, and `distinct`, among others. These operations enable developers to process and manipulate the elements of a stream in a declarative and concise manner, promoting a functional programming style.
On the other hand, terminal operations are those operations that produce a final result or a side effect. They trigger the execution of the stream pipeline and consume the elements of the stream. Examples of terminal operations include `forEach`, `reduce`, `collect`, and `count`. Terminal operations are necessary to obtain a result or perform an action based on the transformed elements generated by the intermediate operations.
Therefore, the correct option is:
- an intermediate operation