int to char Java

After knowing primitive data types and Java rules of Data Type Casting (Type Conversion), let us cast int to char.

The int takes 4 bytes of memory and char takes 2 bytes of memory. Assignment of 4 bytes of memory to 2 bytes of memory requires explicit casting. Moreover, int can take negative values and char takes only positive values. char is implicitly unsigned by Designers (note: Java does not support unsigned data types and infact, unsigned is not a keyword of Java).

byte –> short –> int –> long –> float –> double

The left-side value can be assigned to any right-side value and is done implicitly. The reverse like int to char requires explicit casting.

Examples of implicit casting

short x = 10; // 2 bytes
int y = x; // 2 bytes to 4 bytes

byte x = 10; // 1 byte
short y = x; // 1 byte to 2 bytes

Following program on int to char explains explicit casting. Observe the Java style of explicit casting.

public class Conversions
{
  public static void main(String args[])
  {
    int i1 = 65;                // 4 bytes
    // char ch = i1;            // error, 4 bytes to 2 bytes

    char ch = (char) i1;        // int is type converted to char

    System.out.println("int value: " + i1);                // prints 65
    System.out.println("Converted char value: " + ch);     // prints A (65 is ASCII value for A)
  }
}

Output screenshot of int to char Java

char ch = i1;

The above statement raises a compilation error "possible loss of precision".

char ch = (char) i1;

The int i1 is explicitly type casted to char ch. Observe, the syntax of explicit casting. On both sides, it should be char.

View all for 65 types of Conversions