AutoBoxing Doubt

[harsh sahay]

package boxing;

public class Demo {

	
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		
		Byte a=1;
		Short b=2;
		Integer c=3;
		Long d=4;//Why Compilation error as int 4 should be autoboxed to store in Long d?
		Long e=4L;//Compiles
		Float f=45.67;//Compilation error because 45.67 treated implicitly as double which cant go into float.
		Float g=45.67f;//Compiles
	}

}

Hi all,
My doubt with this code is why auto-boxing with Long d=4 is failing as compared to Byte,Short,and Integer where it is a success? I don't understand why we need to explicitly specify the value as 4L for it to work. Since 4 is an int type shouldn't it be boxed automatically to Long? Please clarify.

[Henry Wong]

harsh sahay wrote:

package boxing;

public class Demo {

	
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		
		Byte a=1;
		Short b=2;
		Integer c=3;
		Long d=4;//Why Compilation error as int 4 should be autoboxed to store in Long d?
		Long e=4L;//Compiles
		Float f=45.67;//Compilation error because 45.67 treated implicitly as double which cant go into float.
		Float g=45.67f;//Compiles
	}

}

Hi all,
My doubt with this code is why auto-boxing with Long d=4 is failing as compared to Byte,Short,and Integer where it is a success? I don't understand why we need to explicitly specify the value as 4L for it to work. Since 4 is an int type shouldn't it be boxed automatically to Long? Please clarify.

Weirdly, I think that the easiest way to understand it, is to look at the specification (section 5.2 to be exact) ...

Java Language Specification wrote:5.2 Assignment Conversion
Assignment conversion occurs when the value of an expression is assigned (§15.26) to a variable: the type of the expression must be converted to the type of the variable. Assignment contexts allow the use of one of the following:

an identity conversion (§5.1.1)
a widening primitive conversion (§5.1.2)
a widening reference conversion (§5.1.5)
a boxing conversion (§5.1.7) optionally followed by a widening reference conversion
an unboxing conversion (§5.1.8) optionally followed by a widening primitive conversion.

If, after the conversions listed above have been applied, the resulting type is a raw type (§4.8), unchecked conversion (§5.1.9) may then be applied. It is a compile time error if the chain of conversions contains two parameterized types that are not not in the subtype relation.

Discussion
An example of such an illegal chain would be:

Integer, Comparable<Integer>, Comparable, Comparable<String>

The first three elements of the chain are related by widening reference conversion, while the last entry is derived from its predecessor by unchecked conversion. However, this dis not a valid assignment conversion, because the chain contains two parameterized types, Comparable<Integer> and Comparable<String>, that are not subtypes.

In addition, if the expression is a constant expression (§15.28) of type byte, short, char or int :

A narrowing primitive conversion may be used if the type of the variable is byte, short, or char, and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type of the variable.
A narrowing primitive conversion followed by a boxing conversion may be used if the type of the variable is :
Byte and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type byte.
Short and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type short.
Character and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type char.

If the type of the expression cannot be converted to the type of the variable by a conversion permitted in an assignment context, then a compile-time error occurs.

If the type of the variable is float or double, then value set conversion is applied to the value v that is the results of the type conversion:

If v is of type float and is an element of the float-extended-exponent value set, then the implementation must map v to the nearest element of the float value set. This conversion may result in overflow or underflow.
If v is of type double and is an element of the double-extended-exponent value set, then the implementation must map v to the nearest element of the double value set. This conversion may result in overflow or underflow.

If the type of an expression can be converted to the type of a variable by assignment conversion, we say the expression (or its value) is assignable to the variable or, equivalently, that the type of the expression is assignment compatible with the type of the variable.

If, after the type conversions above have been applied, the resulting value is an object which is not an instance of a subclass or subinterface of the erasure of the type of the variable, then a ClassCastException is thrown.

First, notice that the only two combinations of implicit casts and autoboxing are...

a boxing conversion (§5.1.7) optionally followed by a widening reference conversion
an unboxing conversion (§5.1.8) optionally followed by a widening primitive conversion.

So, technically, only the Integer assignment (line 10 in the example), the Long assignment (line 12), and Float assignment (line 14) are allowed, as those assignments do not have any implicit casts -- all the other assignments should fail as it is not valid to cast a primative to be follow by a boxing operation.


However, you are also using literals in your example; int, long, float, and double literals are compile time constants. And there are special rules regarding compile time constant casting and boxing. Specifically....

A narrowing primitive conversion followed by a boxing conversion may be used if the type of the variable is :
Byte and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type byte.
Short and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type short.
Character and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type char.

And with these special rules, line 8 and line 9 of your example is also allowed.

Henry

[fadi aboona]

harsh sahay wrote:

package boxing;

public class Demo {

	
	public static void main(String[] args) {
		
		Byte a=1;
		Short b=2;
		Integer c=3;
		Long d=4;//Why Compilation error as int 4 should be autoboxed to store in Long d?
		Long e=4L;//Compiles
		Float f=45.67;//Compilation error because 45.67 treated implicitly as double which cant go into float.
		Float g=45.67f;//Compiles
	}

}

Hi all,
My doubt with this code is why auto-boxing with Long d=4 is failing as compared to Byte,Short,and Integer where it is a success? I don't understand why we need to explicitly specify the value as 4L for it to work. Since 4 is an int type shouldn't it be boxed automatically to Long? Please clarify.

Because the compiler would first box the 4 to Integer then it would be impossible to assign Integer into Long the IS-A test fails, Integer IS-A Long? No

[harsh sahay]

Java Language Specification wrote:5.2 Assignment Conversion
Assignment conversion occurs when the value of an expression is assigned (§15.26) to a variable: the type of the expression must be converted to the type of the variable. Assignment contexts allow the use of one of the following:

an identity conversion (§5.1.1)
a widening primitive conversion (§5.1.2)
a widening reference conversion (§5.1.5)
a boxing conversion (§5.1.7) optionally followed by a widening reference conversion
an unboxing conversion (§5.1.8) optionally followed by a widening primitive conversion.

If, after the conversions listed above have been applied, the resulting type is a raw type (§4.8), unchecked conversion (§5.1.9) may then be applied. It is a compile time error if the chain of conversions contains two parameterized types that are not not in the subtype relation.

Discussion
An example of such an illegal chain would be:

Integer, Comparable<Integer>, Comparable, Comparable<String>

The first three elements of the chain are related by widening reference conversion, while the last entry is derived from its predecessor by unchecked conversion. However, this dis not a valid assignment conversion, because the chain contains two parameterized types, Comparable<Integer> and Comparable<String>, that are not subtypes.

In addition, if the expression is a constant expression (§15.28) of type byte, short, char or int :

A narrowing primitive conversion may be used if the type of the variable is byte, short, or char, and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type of the variable.
A narrowing primitive conversion followed by a boxing conversion may be used if the type of the variable is :
Byte and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type byte.
Short and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type short.
Character and the value of the constant expression is representable in the type char.

If the type of the expression cannot be converted to the type of the variable by a conversion permitted in an assignment context, then a compile-time error occurs.

If the type of the variable is float or double, then value set conversion is applied to the value v that is the results of the type conversion:

If v is of type float and is an element of the float-extended-exponent value set, then the implementation must map v to the nearest element of the float value set. This conversion may result in overflow or underflow.
If v is of type double and is an element of the double-extended-exponent value set, then the implementation must map v to the nearest element of the double value set. This conversion may result in overflow or underflow.

If the type of an expression can be converted to the type of a variable by assignment conversion, we say the expression (or its value) is assignable to the variable or, equivalently, that the type of the expression is assignment compatible with the type of the variable.

If, after the type conversions above have been applied, the resulting value is an object which is not an instance of a subclass or subinterface of the erasure of the type of the variable, then a ClassCastException is thrown.

Thanks Henry, this was really informative.