Question

If I write:

def getShort(b: Array[Byte]): Short

in Scala, I get a primitive short in Java, which is fine. But if I write:

def getChar(b: Array[Byte]): Char

I get a scala.Char object, which is NOT fine. And if I write:

def getChar(b: Array[Byte]): Character

I get a java.lang.Character, which ISN’T fine either.

If Scala “Char” isn’t Java “char”, and Scala “Character” isn’t Java “char”, then what is left?

Answer 1

You’re mistaken; Char is the Java primitive char. Observe:

scala> class IsPrimitiveChar {
     |   def myChar(i: Int): Char = i.toChar   // I am clearly a Char, whatever that is!
     | }
defined class IsPrimitiveChar

scala> :javap IsPrimitveChar
Compiled from "<console>"
public class IsPrimitiveChar extends java.lang.Object implements scala.ScalaObject{
    public char myChar(int);  // Look, it returns a char!
    public IsPrimitiveChar();
}


scala> :javap -c -private IsPrimitiveChar
Compiled from "<console>"
public class IsPrimitiveChar extends java.lang.Object implements scala.ScalaObject{
public char myChar(int);
  Code:
   0:   iload_1
   1:   i2c               // Look, primitive int to char conversion in bytecode!
   2:   ireturn           // And that's all!

^{One needs to have tools.jar on the classpath for :javap to work, by the way. It’s included with the Sun/Oracle JVMs.}