diff --git a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/MyUserPredicatesBuilder.java b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/MyUserPredicatesBuilder.java
index 4f181b9c4c..7be37c7155 100644
--- a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/MyUserPredicatesBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/MyUserPredicatesBuilder.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package org.baeldung.persistence.dao;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.baeldung.web.util.SearchCriteria;
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ public final class MyUserPredicatesBuilder {
         final List<BooleanExpression> predicates = params.stream().map(param -> {
             MyUserPredicate predicate = new MyUserPredicate(param);
             return predicate.getPredicate();
-        }).filter(predicate -> predicate != null).collect(Collectors.toCollection(ArrayList::new));
+        }).filter(Objects::nonNull).collect(Collectors.toList());
         
         BooleanExpression result = Expressions.asBoolean(true).isTrue();
         for (BooleanExpression predicate : predicates) {
diff --git a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/UserSpecificationsBuilder.java b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/UserSpecificationsBuilder.java
index cb8918b807..def31a23c5 100644
--- a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/UserSpecificationsBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/UserSpecificationsBuilder.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public final class UserSpecificationsBuilder {
 
         final List<Specification<User>> specs = params.stream()
                 .map(UserSpecification::new)
-                .collect(Collectors.toCollection(ArrayList::new));
+                .collect(Collectors.toList());
         
         Specification<User> result = specs.get(0);
 
diff --git a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecBuilder.java b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecBuilder.java
index 3076300c36..960792a4b9 100644
--- a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecBuilder.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package org.baeldung.persistence.dao.rsql;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.springframework.data.jpa.domain.Specifications;
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ public class GenericRsqlSpecBuilder<T> {
         List<Specifications<T>> specs = logicalNode.getChildren()
                 .stream()
                 .map(node -> createSpecification(node))
-                .filter(specifications -> specifications != null)
-                .collect(Collectors.toCollection(ArrayList::new));
+                .filter(Objects::nonNull)
+                .collect(Collectors.toList());
         
         Specifications<T> initialSpec = specs.stream().findFirst().get();
         
diff --git a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecification.java b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecification.java
index 3e99208684..553d343edb 100644
--- a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecification.java
+++ b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/persistence/dao/rsql/GenericRsqlSpecification.java
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package org.baeldung.persistence.dao.rsql;
 
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ public class GenericRsqlSpecification<T> implements Specification<T> {
             }
             return obj;
             
-        }).collect(Collectors.toCollection(ArrayList::new));
+        }).collect(Collectors.toList());
 
         return args;
     }
diff --git a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/web/controller/UserController.java b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/web/controller/UserController.java
index 13f986eb20..8953a52a1b 100644
--- a/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/web/controller/UserController.java
+++ b/spring-rest-query-language/src/main/java/org/baeldung/web/controller/UserController.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package org.baeldung.web.controller;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ public class UserController {
     @ResponseBody
     public List<User> findAll(@RequestParam(value = "search", required = false) String search) {
         List<SearchCriteria> params = new ArrayList<SearchCriteria>();
-        if (Optional.ofNullable(search).isPresent()) {
+        if (search != null) {
             Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("(\\w+?)(:|<|>)(\\w+?),");
             Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(search + ",");
             while (matcher.find()) {
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ public class UserController {
     @ResponseBody
     public Iterable<MyUser> findAllByQuerydsl(@RequestParam(value = "search") String search) {
         MyUserPredicatesBuilder builder = new MyUserPredicatesBuilder();
-        if (Optional.ofNullable(search).isPresent()) {
+        if (search != null) {
             Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile("(\\w+?)(:|<|>)(\\w+?),");
             Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(search + ",");
             while (matcher.find()) {