Cast compiler error

[shuba gopal]

The following example results in a compiler exception and needs a cast to execute.

class Alien {
String invade(short ships) { return "a few"; }
String invade(short... ships) { return "many"; }
}
class Defender {
public static void main(String [] args) {
System.out.println(new Alien().invade(7));
} }
[code=java]

For primitives, I know that the result of arithmetic operations with byte and short result in int and need casting to avoid compiler errors. Number literals are by default int and hence in this example a cast is needed. Am I right?

[jishnu dasgupta]

yes. And please quote your sources from now on

[Unnar Björnsson]

giving a method expecting a short an int will cause compiler error because int which is a 32 bit 2's complement integer can cause overflow if it's stored in short which is only 16bit, however the reverse is ok, you can store short integer in int since int is an extension of short