[java] Convert Iterable to Stream using Java 8 JDK

I have an interface which returns java.lang.Iterable<T>.

I would like to manipulate that result using the Java 8 Stream API.

However Iterable can't "stream".

Any idea how to use the Iterable as a Stream without converting it to List?

I would like to suggest using JOOL library, it hides spliterator magic behind the Seq.seq(iterable) call and also provides a whole bunch of additional useful functionality.

Another way to do it, with Java 8 and without external libs:

Stream.concat(collectionA.stream(), collectionB.stream())
      .collect(Collectors.toList())

So as another answer mentioned Guava has support for this by using:

Streams.stream(iterable);

I want to highlight that the implementation does something slightly different than other answers suggested. If the Iterable is of type Collection they cast it.

public static <T> Stream<T> stream(Iterable<T> iterable) {
  return (iterable instanceof Collection)
    ? ((Collection<T>) iterable).stream()
    : StreamSupport.stream(iterable.spliterator(), false);
}

public static <T> Stream<T> stream(Iterator<T> iterator) {
  return StreamSupport.stream(
    Spliterators.spliteratorUnknownSize(iterator, 0),
    false
  );
}

If you can use Guava library, since version 21, you can use

Streams.stream(iterable)

If you happen to use Vavr(formerly known as Javaslang), this can be as easy as:

Iterable i = //...
Stream.ofAll(i);

A very simple work-around for this issue is to create a Streamable<T> interface extending Iterable<T> that holds a default <T> stream() method.

interface Streamable<T> extends Iterable<T> {
    default Stream<T> stream() {
        return StreamSupport.stream(spliterator(), false);
    }
}

Now any of your Iterable<T>s can be trivially made streamable just by declaring them implements Streamable<T> instead of Iterable<T>.

I've created this class:

public class Streams {
    /**
     * Converts Iterable to stream
     */
    public static <T> Stream<T>  streamOf(final Iterable<T> iterable) {
        return toStream(iterable, false);
    }

    /**
     * Converts Iterable to parallel stream
     */
    public static <T> Stream<T> parallelStreamOf(final Iterable<T> iterable) {
        return toStream(iterable, true);
    }

    private static <T> Stream<T> toStream(final Iterable<T> iterable, final boolean isParallel) {
        return StreamSupport.stream(iterable.spliterator(), isParallel);
    }
}

I think it's perfectly readable because you don't have to think about spliterators and booleans (isParallel).

You can easily create a Stream out of an Iterable or Iterator:

public static <T> Stream<T> stream(Iterable<T> iterable) {
    return StreamSupport.stream(
        Spliterators.spliteratorUnknownSize(
            iterable.iterator(),
            Spliterator.ORDERED
        ),
        false
    );
}