Java | BiFunction Interface methods - apply() and andThen()

The BiFunction Interface is a part of the java.util.function package which has been introduced since Java 8, to implement functional programming in Java. It represents a function which takes in two arguments and produces a result. Hence this functional interface which takes in 3 parameters namely:-

• T: denotes the type of the first argument to the function
• U: denotes the type of the second argument to the function
• R: denotes the return type of the function

The lambda expression assigned to an object of BiFunction type is used to define its apply() which eventually applies the given function on the arguments. The main advantage of using a BiFunction is that it allows us to use 2 input arguments while in function we can only have 1 input argument.

Functions in BiFunction Interface

The BiFunction interface consists of the following two functions:

1. apply()

This method applies the given function to the arguments. 

Syntax:

R apply(T t, U u)

Parameters: This method takes two parameters:

• t- the first function argument
• u- the second function argument

Returns: This method returns the function result which is of type R.

Below are the Programs to illustrate apply() Method 

Program 1: 

// Java Program to demonstrate
// BiFunction's apply() method

import java.util.function.BiFunction;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        // BiFunction to add 2 numbers
        BiFunction<Integer, Integer, Integer> add = (a, b) -> a + b;

        // Implement add using apply()
        System.out.println("Sum = " + add.apply(2, 3));

        // BiFunction to multiply 2 numbers
        BiFunction<Integer, Integer, Integer> multiply = (a, b) -> a * b;

        // Implement add using apply()
        System.out.println("Product = " + multiply.apply(2, 3));
    }
}

Sum = 5
Product = 6

2. andThen()

It returns a composed function wherein the parameterized function will be executed after the first one. If evaluation of either function throws an error, it is relayed to the caller of the composed function.

Note: The function being passed as the argument should be of type Function and not BiFunction. 

Syntax:

default <V> 
    BiFunction<T, U, V> 
        andThen(Function<? super R, ? extends V> after)

where V is the type of output of the after function, and of the composed function 

Parameters: This method accepts a parameter after which is the function to be applied after this function is one. 

Return Value: This method returns a composed function that first applies the current function first and then the after function.

Exception: This method throws NullPointerException if the after function is null. 

Below are the Programs to illustrate andThen() Method

Program 1: 

// Java Program to demonstrate
// BiFunction's andThen() method

import java.util.function.BiFunction;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        // BiFunction to demonstrate composite functions
        // Here it will find the sum of two integers
        // and then return twice their sum
        BiFunction<Integer, Integer, Integer> composite1 = (a, b) -> a + b;

        // Using andThen() method
        composite1 = composite1.andThen(a -> 2 * a);

        // Printing the results
        System.out.println("Composite1 = " + composite1.apply(2, 3));

        // BiFunction to demonstrate composite functions
        // Here it will find the sum of two integers
        // and then return twice their sum
        BiFunction<Integer, Integer, Integer> composite2 = (a, b) -> a * b;

        // Using andThen() method
        composite2 = composite2.andThen(a -> 3 * a);

        // Printing the result
        System.out.println("Composite2 = " + composite2.apply(2, 3));
    }
}

Composite1 = 10
Composite2 = 18

Program 2: To demonstrate when NullPointerException is returned. 

// Java Program to demonstrate
// BiFunction's andThen() method

import java.util.function.BiFunction;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        // BiFunction which finds the sum of 2 integers
        // and returns twice their sum
        BiFunction<Integer, Integer, Integer> composite = (a, b) -> a + b;

        try {
            // Using andThen() method
            composite = composite.andThen(null);

            // Printing the result
            System.out.println("Composite = " + composite.apply(2, 3));
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Exception: " + e);
        }
    }
}

Exception: java.lang.NullPointerException

Program 3: To demonstrate how an Exception in the after function is returned and handled. 

In the below program, when (2, 3) is passed as the parameter to the first function, it return the sum 5. Now this sum will be passed as the parameter to the after function, i.e. andThen() method. Here passing 5 to after function results in (5 - 5 = 0), i.e. the denominator will become 0. Hence ArithmeticException will be thrown. This exception will be handled in the apply() function, instead of andThen() function. 

// Java Program to demonstrate
// BiFunction's andThen() method

import java.util.function.BiFunction;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        // BiFunction which finds the sum of 2 integers
        // and returns twice their sum
        BiFunction<;Integer, Integer, Integer> composite = (a, b) -> a + b;

        // Using andThen() method
        composite = composite.andThen(a -> a / (a - 5));

        try {
            // Printing the result using apply()
            System.out.println("Composite = " + composite.apply(2, 3));
        }
        catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Exception: " + e);
        }
    }
}

Exception: java.lang.ArithmeticException: / by zero

Note:

• It isn't possible to add a BiFunction to an existing BiFunction using andThen().
• BiFunction interface is useful when it is needed to pass 2 parameters, unlike Function interface which allows to pass only one. However, it is possible to cascade two or more Function objects to form a BiFunction but in that case it won't be possible to use both the parameters at the same time. This is the utility of BiFunction.
• The Lambda expression is being used to initialize the apply() method in BiFunction interface.