Casting rules

[Falshon Hauxe]

I don't follow all the rules for casting of primitives. For example, can someone clarify why I generate a compiler error when trying to cast an int to a string?
class casting {
public static void main(String[] s) {
int x=24;
byte b=8;
String str = "";

str = (String)x;
str = (String)b;
}
}

[Ron Newman]

A String is an object.
You can never cast a primitive to an object, or vice versa.

[Falshon Hauxe]

I see, so I should first make a wrapper class for the int and then try to cast it, right?

[Barry Gaunt]

Take a look at the API documentation for the String class. You will find that no casting will be necessary. Here
-Barry

[Falshon Hauxe]

Thanks. I used the wrapper class and then the toString() method to achieve the result.
class casting {
public static void main(String[] s) {
int x=24;
byte b=8;
String str = "";
Integer wrapX = new Integer(x);
Byte wrapB = new Byte(b);

str = wrapX.toString();
str = wrapB.toString(); //overwrite str

System.out.println(str);

}
}

[Barry Gaunt]

Did you not consider:

public static String valueOf(int i)

?
-Barry

[Thomas Paul]

Of course you can always try this:
int x = 10;
String s = "" + x;

[Falshon Hauxe]

ahhh, thanks.
Those are a litte more elegant, eh.

[Barry Gaunt]

Yes, but Thomas always does the advanced stuff

[Ilja Preuss]

See also http://jinx.swiki.net/77