Can I pass a primitive type by reference in Java?

Question

I would like to call a method which could potentially take on different versions, i.e. the same method for input parameters that are of type:

• boolean
• byte

Answer 1

You can't. In Java parameters are always passed by value. If the parameter is a reference type, the reference is passed by value and you can modify it inside the method while with primitive types this is not possible.

You will need to create a wrapper type.