Last Updated : 24 Mar, 2025
Java provides various data types just like any other dynamic language such as boolean, char, int, unsigned int, signed int, float, double, long, etc in total providing 7 types where every datatype acquires different space while storing in memory. When you assign a value of one data type to another, the two types might not be compatible with each other. If the data types are compatible, then Java will perform the conversion automatically known as Automatic Type Conversion, and if not then they need to be cast or converted explicitly. For example, assigning an int value to a long variable.
Data Types and Their Memory Allocation Datatype Bits Acquired In Memory boolean 1 byte 8 (1 byte) char 16 (2 bytes) short 16(2 bytes) int 32 (4 bytes) long 64 (8 bytes) float 32 (4 bytes) double 64 (8 bytes) Widening or Automatic Type ConversionWidening conversion takes place when two data types are automatically converted. This happens when:
For Example, in java, the numeric data types are compatible with each other but no automatic conversion is supported from numeric type to char or boolean. Also, char and boolean are not compatible with each other.
Example:
Java
// Java Program to Illustrate Automatic Type Conversion
// Main class
class GFG {
// Main driver method
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int i = 100;
// Automatic type conversion
// Integer to long type
long l = i;
// Automatic type conversion
// long to float type
float f = l;
// Print and display commands
System.out.println("Int value " + i);
System.out.println("Long value " + l);
System.out.println("Float value " + f);
}
}
Int value 100 Long value 100 Float value 100.0Narrowing or Explicit Conversion
If we want to assign a value of a larger data type to a smaller data type we perform explicit type casting or narrowing.
char and number are not compatible with each other. Let's see when we try to convert one into another.
Java
// Java program to illustrate Incompatible data Type
// for Explicit Type Conversion
// Main class
public class GFG {
// Main driver method
public static void main(String[] argv)
{
// Declaring character variable
char ch = 'c';
// Declaringinteger variable
int num = 88;
// Trying to insert integer to character
ch = num;
}
}
Output: An error will be generated
This error is generated as an integer variable takes 4 bytes while character datatype requires 2 bytes. We are trying to plot data from 4 bytes into 2 bytes which is not possible.
How to do Explicit Conversion?
Java
// Java program to Illustrate Explicit Type Conversion
// Main class
public class GFG {
// Main driver method
public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Double datatype
double d = 100.04;
// Explicit type casting by forcefully getting
// data from long datatype to integer type
long l = (long)d;
// Explicit type casting
int i = (int)l;
// Print statements
System.out.println("Double value " + d);
// While printing we will see that
// fractional part lost
System.out.println("Long value " + l);
// While printing we will see that
// fractional part lost
System.out.println("Int value " + i);
}
}
Double value 100.04 Long value 100 Int value 100
Note: While assigning value to byte type the fractional part is lost and is reduced to modulo 256(range of byte).
Example:
Java
// Java Program to Illustrate Conversion of
// Integer and Double to Byte
// Main class
class GFG {
// Main driver method
public static void main(String args[])
{
// Declaring byte variable
byte b;
// Declaring and initializing integer and double
int i = 257;
double d = 323.142;
// Display message
System.out.println("Conversion of int to byte.");
// i % 256
b = (byte)i;
// Print commands
System.out.println("i = " + i + " b = " + b);
System.out.println(
"\nConversion of double to byte.");
// d % 256
b = (byte)d;
// Print commands
System.out.println("d = " + d + " b= " + b);
}
}
Conversion of int to byte. i = 257 b = 1 Conversion of double to byte. d = 323.142 b= 67Type Promotion in Expressions
While evaluating expressions, the intermediate value may exceed the range of operands and hence the expression value will be promoted. Some conditions for type promotion are:
Example:
Java
// Java program to Illustrate Type promotion in Expressions
// Main class
class GFG {
// Main driver method
public static void main(String args[])
{
// Declaring and initializing primitive types
byte b = 42;
char c = 'a';
short s = 1024;
int i = 50000;
float f = 5.67f;
double d = .1234;
// The Expression
double result = (f * b) + (i / c) - (d * s);
// Printing the result obtained after
// all the promotions are done
System.out.println("result = " + result);
}
}
result = 626.7784146484375Explicit Type Casting in Expressions
While evaluating expressions, the result is automatically updated to a larger data type of the operand. But if we store that result in any smaller data type it generates a compile-time error, due to which we need to typecast the result.
Example:
Java
// Java program to Illustrate Type Casting
// in Integer to Byte
// Main class
class GFG {
// Main driver method
public static void main(String args[])
{
// Declaring byte array
byte b = 50;
// Type casting int to byte
b = (byte)(b * 2);
// Display value in byte
System.out.println(b);
}
}
Difference Between Explicit and Implicit ConversionNote: In case of single operands the result gets converted to int and then it is typecast accordingly, as in the above example.
The below table demonstrates the key difference between Explicit and Implicit Conversion
Aspect
Implicit Conversion
Explicit Conversion
Syntax
No additional syntax required.
Requires explicit type casting (e.g., (int)).
Data Compatibility
Only works with compatible types (e.g., numeric).
Works with both compatible and incompatible types.
Risk of Data Loss
No risk of data loss.
May result in data loss (e.g., truncation).
Direction
Smaller type to larger type.
Larger type to smaller type.
Note:
- Use implicit conversion when assigning a value of a smaller data type to a larger data type (e.g., int to long).
- Use explicit conversion when assigning a value of a larger data type to a smaller data type (e.g., double to int) or when converting between incompatible types.
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