Understanding Autoboxing and Unboxing in Java: The What, How, and Why

credit : scaler.com

Introduction:

Java, a versatile and widely-used programming language, introduces developers to various concepts that enhance code readability and flexibility. Among these concepts are autoboxing and unboxing, which play a crucial role in simplifying the manipulation of primitive and wrapper types. In this extensive guide, we’ll unravel the mysteries of autoboxing and unboxing, exploring what they are, how they work, why they matter, and the trade-offs associated with each concept.

What is Autoboxing?
Autoboxing is a feature in Java that automatically converts primitive data types into their corresponding wrapper classes. This process is seamless and occurs implicitly when a primitive type is used in a context that requires an object. For example, when assigning a primitive value to an object of the corresponding wrapper class, autoboxing takes place.

Example:

// Autoboxing: int to Integer
int primitiveInt = 42;
Integer wrapperInt = primitiveInt; // Autoboxing

In this example, the primitive integer 42 is automatically converted to its wrapper class Integer during the assignment.

How Does Autoboxing Work?
Autoboxing is possible because of the automatic creation of wrapper…