byte to int??

[sonir shah]

Consider the following code:

class A
{
byte getStatusCode(Object obj) throws NullPointerException
{
if(obj != null ) return 1;
else return 0;
}
}
class B extends A
{
//override getStatusCode method.
}

Ans :It will not compile
Explaination:The return type of the method is byte, but it is returning int.
According to me, it will compile.Although the return type is byte, but 1 or 0(though int) can easily fit in byte.
Please let me know.
Sonir

[Roy Ben Ami]

first try it and see if it compiles.
i dont think it will cause constant numbers in java are considered int (like 5 10 1 etc).
unless you cast it to byte - which u can, it will treat it as int.

[Rob Ross]

It compiles for me. I think this is a case of implicit narrowing assignment of primative constants; since the compiler can verify that the number is within the range allowed for the return type, it allows it.
Rob

[Roy Ben Ami]

i guess you r right then

[Maulin Vasavada]

Hi,
the literals are only allowed without using casting only for return values for methods (the example in the question) and as Rob said, for conversions which are really valid. we can say,
byte b = 12;
but not byte b = 129;
in method's formal arguments, again implicit conversion is not applied.
so if we have,
void f(byte b) { } and if we try to call it by,
f(1) it won't work.
regards
maulin.