Module java.base
Package java.util.function

# Interface BinaryOperator<T>

Type Parameters:
  `T` - the type of the operands and result of the operator

All Superinterfaces:
  `BiFunction<T,T,T>`

Functional Interface:
  This is a functional interface and can therefore be used as the assignment target for a lambda expression or method reference.

@FunctionalInterface public interface BinaryOperator<T> extends BiFunction<T,T,T>
Represents an operation upon two operands of the same type, producing a result of the same type as the operands. This is a specialization of `BiFunction` for the case where the operands and the result are all of the same type.

This is a functional interface whose functional method is `BiFunction.apply(Object, Object)`.

Since:
  1.8
See Also:
  - `BiFunction`
  - `UnaryOperator`

## Method Summary

Static Methods
Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`static <T> BinaryOperator<T>`
`maxBy(Comparator<? super T> comparator)`
Returns a `BinaryOperator` which returns the greater of two elements according to the specified `Comparator`.
`static <T> BinaryOperator<T>`
`minBy(Comparator<? super T> comparator)`
Returns a `BinaryOperator` which returns the lesser of two elements according to the specified `Comparator`.

### Methods declared in interface java.util.function.BiFunction

`andThen, apply`

## Method Details

### minBy

static <T> BinaryOperator<T> minBy(Comparator<? super T> comparator)
Returns a `BinaryOperator` which returns the lesser of two elements according to the specified `Comparator`.

Type Parameters:
  `T` - the type of the input arguments of the comparator
Parameters:
  `comparator` - a `Comparator` for comparing the two values
Returns:
  a `BinaryOperator` which returns the lesser of its operands, according to the supplied `Comparator`
Throws:
  `NullPointerException` - if the argument is null

### maxBy

static <T> BinaryOperator<T> maxBy(Comparator<? super T> comparator)
Returns a `BinaryOperator` which returns the greater of two elements according to the specified `Comparator`.

Type Parameters:
  `T` - the type of the input arguments of the comparator
Parameters:
  `comparator` - a `Comparator` for comparing the two values
Returns:
  a `BinaryOperator` which returns the greater of its operands, according to the supplied `Comparator`
Throws:
  `NullPointerException` - if the argument is null