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primitive types in java

 
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Why to use primitive types in java instead of Wrapper classes? I want to know that already we have wrapper classes in java, then why we need to use primitive types? What are the importance of primitive types in java.?
 
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I think it is a bit easier to do this:


than this:



Hunter
 
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I believe one of the primary reasons for the Wrapper classes is the case when you need to treat a primitive like an object. Prior to Java 5.0 you had to manually put a wrapper around a primitive you wanted to store in collections like ArrayList. They only store objects and prior to 5.0, this wrapping was not done automatically ("autoboxing").

Like the previous post, primitives don't require you to instantiate an object.

Hope that helps.

 
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For one thing, math with primitives is MUCH MUCH MUCH faster than with objects.

Another point: arrays of primitives are MUCH MUCH MUCH smaller than the equivalent with object.

The prospect of manipulating an image as anything but primitives boggles the mind.

Bill
 
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I've found the wrapper classes most useful for attributes that could be zero, but need to be set.
An int attribute set to "0" can be deceiving...
 
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Objects are much more heavyweight than primitive types, so primitive types are much more efficient than instances of wrapper classes.

Primitive types are very simple: for example an int is 32 bits and takes up exactly 32 bits in memory, and can be manipulated directly. An Integer object is a complete object, which (like any object) has to be stored on the heap, and can only be accessed via a reference (pointer) to it. It most likely also takes up more than 32 bits (4 bytes) of memory.

That said, the fact that Java has a distinction between primitive and non-primitive types is also a sign of age of the Java programming language. Newer programming languages don't have this distinction; the compiler of such a language is smart enough to figure out by itself if you're using simple values or more complex objects.

For example, in Scala there are no primitive types; there is a class Int for integers, and an Int is a real object (that you can methods on etc.). When the compiler compiles your code, it uses primitive ints behind the scenes, so using an Int is just as efficient as using a primitive int in Java. But as a programmer you don't need to deal with those low-level things.

At the time Java was invented, the designers of the language hadn't figured out that it's possible for the compiler to hide the distinction between primitive and non-primitive types, so in Java you have to deal with it yourself.
 
William Brogden
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At the time Java was invented, the designers of the language hadn't figured out that it's possible for the compiler to hide the distinction between primitive and non-primitive types, so in Java you have to deal with it yourself.



Call me an old fogey but I like it that way. Having IDEs and compilers do stuff behind my back is annoying.

Bill (who remembers z-80 op codes in octal from writing a version of Forth)
 
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Think about phone applications, or apps with size limitations. So, if you use 10,000 variables on your application, it would make a huge diference using int instead of Integer.

And, if you need perfomace, be sure that primitives will rule!

\o/

 
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William Brogden wrote:

Call me an old fogey..



You sir, are an old fogey!

You're welcome.
 
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