some java confusion, please help

[xyyz]

I'm trying to learn Java on my own...

I'm using Walter Savitch's text.

He says the following:

"You can assign a value of type char to a variable of type int, or to any of the numeric types that follow int in our list of type. "

I don't get this. Is he saying you can assign a letter to type int? If so, that makes no sense.

 

[Mday]

a letter is a character.

a character is represented by an ascii number. that is that.

so int i = 'a' is a legal argument

 

[Chad]

Yes, so the int takes up the numeric representation of the letter. But I believe it's the Unicode representation, not the ASCII.

 

[xyyz]

thanks for the explanation guys...

Savitch did cover it a bit later... I wish he'd covered it sooner.

but he used the example of printing the conversion of 7 from a char to an int, the result would give you 55 and not 7, because of the unicode.

honestly, your explanations were better.

thanks again.

 

[Chad]

Yeah, he probably should have been more clear, but I really like Savitch. I think his books are some of the best.

Are you reading the "Java: An Introduction to Computer Science & Programming" book of his?

 

[ugh]

While we're in the subject, anyone knows the difference between char and byte?