Difference between final and effectively final

Question

I\'m playing with lambdas in Java 8 and I came across warning local variables referenced from a lambda expression must be final or effectively final. I know tha

Answer 1

However, starting in Java SE 8, a local class can access local variables and parameters of the >enclosing block that are final or effectively final.

This didn't start on Java 8, I use this since long time. This code used (before java 8) to be legal:

String str = ""; //<-- not accesible from anonymous classes implementation
final String strFin = ""; //<-- accesible 
button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
    @Override
    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
         String ann = str; // <---- error, must be final (IDE's gives the hint);
         String ann = strFin; // <---- legal;
         String str = "legal statement on java 7,"
                +"Java 8 doesn't allow this, it thinks that I'm trying to use the str declared before the anonymous impl."; 
         //we are forced to use another name than str
    }
);