How does Java handle integer underflows and overflows and how would you check for it?

Question

How does Java handle integer underflows and overflows?

Leading on from that, how would you check/test that this is occurring?

Answer 1

It doesn't do anything -- the under/overflow just happens.

A "-1" that is the result of a computation that overflowed is no different from the "-1" that resulted from any other information. So you can't tell via some status or by inspecting just a value whether it's overflowed.

But you can be smart about your computations in order to avoid overflow, if it matters, or at least know when it will happen. What's your situation?

Answer 2

I think you should use something like this and it is called Upcasting:

public int multiplyBy2(int x) throws ArithmeticException {
    long result = 2 * (long) x;    
    if (result > Integer.MAX_VALUE || result < Integer.MIN_VALUE){
        throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
    }
    return (int) result;
}

You can read further here: Detect or prevent integer overflow

It is quite reliable source.

Answer 3

static final int safeAdd(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if (right > 0 ? left > Integer.MAX_VALUE - right
                : left < Integer.MIN_VALUE - right) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left + right;
}

static final int safeSubtract(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if (right > 0 ? left < Integer.MIN_VALUE + right
                : left > Integer.MAX_VALUE + right) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left - right;
}

static final int safeMultiply(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if (right > 0 ? left > Integer.MAX_VALUE/right
                  || left < Integer.MIN_VALUE/right
                : (right < -1 ? left > Integer.MIN_VALUE/right
                                || left < Integer.MAX_VALUE/right
                              : right == -1
                                && left == Integer.MIN_VALUE) ) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left * right;
}

static final int safeDivide(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if ((left == Integer.MIN_VALUE) && (right == -1)) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left / right;
}

static final int safeNegate(int a) throws ArithmeticException {
  if (a == Integer.MIN_VALUE) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return -a;
}
static final int safeAbs(int a) throws ArithmeticException {
  if (a == Integer.MIN_VALUE) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return Math.abs(a);
}

Answer 4

Having just kinda run into this problem myself, here's my solution (for both multiplication and addition):

static boolean wouldOverflowOccurwhenMultiplying(int a, int b) {
    // If either a or b are Integer.MIN_VALUE, then multiplying by anything other than 0 or 1 will result in overflow
    if (a == 0 || b == 0) {
        return false;
    } else if (a > 0 && b > 0) { // both positive, non zero
        return a > Integer.MAX_VALUE / b;
    } else if (b < 0 && a < 0) { // both negative, non zero
        return a < Integer.MAX_VALUE / b;
    } else { // exactly one of a,b is negative and one is positive, neither are zero
        if (b > 0) { // this last if statements protects against Integer.MIN_VALUE / -1, which in itself causes overflow.
            return a < Integer.MIN_VALUE / b;
        } else { // a > 0
            return b < Integer.MIN_VALUE / a;
        }
    }
}

boolean wouldOverflowOccurWhenAdding(int a, int b) {
    if (a > 0 && b > 0) {
        return a > Integer.MAX_VALUE - b;
    } else if (a < 0 && b < 0) {
        return a < Integer.MIN_VALUE - b;
    }
    return false;
}

feel free to correct if wrong or if can be simplified. I've done some testing with the multiplication method, mostly edge cases, but it could still be wrong.

Answer 5

Java doesn't do anything with integer overflow for either int or long primitive types and ignores overflow with positive and negative integers.

This answer first describes the of integer overflow, gives an example of how it can happen, even with intermediate values in expression evaluation, and then gives links to resources that give detailed techniques for preventing and detecting integer overflow.

Integer arithmetic and expressions reslulting in unexpected or undetected overflow are a common programming error. Unexpected or undetected integer overflow is also a well-known exploitable security issue, especially as it affects array, stack and list objects.

Overflow can occur in either a positive or negative direction where the positive or negative value would be beyond the maximum or minimum values for the primitive type in question. Overflow can occur in an intermediate value during expression or operation evaluation and affect the outcome of an expression or operation where the final value would be expected to be within range.

Sometimes negative overflow is mistakenly called underflow. Underflow is what happens when a value would be closer to zero than the representation allows. Underflow occurs in integer arithmetic and is expected. Integer underflow happens when an integer evaluation would be between -1 and 0 or 0 and 1. What would be a fractional result truncates to 0. This is normal and expected with integer arithmetic and not considered an error. However, it can lead to code throwing an exception. One example is an "ArithmeticException: / by zero" exception if the result of integer underflow is used as a divisor in an expression.

Consider the following code:

int bigValue = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
int x = bigValue * 2 / 5;
int y = bigValue / x;

which results in x being assigned 0 and the subsequent evaluation of bigValue / x throws an exception, "ArithmeticException: / by zero" (i.e. divide by zero), instead of y being assigned the value 2.

The expected result for x would be 858,993,458 which is less than the maximum int value of 2,147,483,647. However, the intermediate result from evaluating Integer.MAX_Value * 2, would be 4,294,967,294, which exceeds the maximum int value and is -2 in accordance with 2s complement integer representations. The subsequent evaluation of -2 / 5 evaluates to 0 which gets assigned to x.

Rearranging the expression for computing x to an expression that, when evaluated, divides before multiplying, the following code:

int bigValue = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
int x = bigValue / 5 * 2;
int y = bigValue / x;

results in x being assigned 858,993,458 and y being assigned 2, which is expected.

The intermediate result from bigValue / 5 is 429,496,729 which does not exceed the maximum value for an int. Subsequent evaluation of 429,496,729 * 2 doesn't exceed the maximum value for an int and the expected result gets assigned to x. The evaluation for y then does not divide by zero. The evaluations for x and y work as expected.

Java integer values are stored as and behave in accordance with 2s complement signed integer representations. When a resulting value would be larger or smaller than the maximum or minimum integer values, a 2's complement integer value results instead. In situations not expressly designed to use 2s complement behavior, which is most ordinary integer arithmetic situations, the resulting 2s complement value will cause a programming logic or computation error as was shown in the example above. An excellent Wikipedia article describes 2s compliment binary integers here: Two's complement - Wikipedia

There are techniques for avoiding unintentional integer overflow. Techinques may be categorized as using pre-condition testing, upcasting and BigInteger.

Pre-condition testing comprises examining the values going into an arithmetic operation or expression to ensure that an overflow won't occur with those values. Programming and design will need to create testing that ensures input values won't cause overflow and then determine what to do if input values occur that will cause overflow.

Upcasting comprises using a larger primitive type to perform the arithmetic operation or expression and then determining if the resulting value is beyond the maximum or minimum values for an integer. Even with upcasting, it is still possible that the value or some intermediate value in an operation or expression will be beyond the maximum or minimum values for the upcast type and cause overflow, which will also not be detected and will cause unexpected and undesired results. Through analysis or pre-conditions, it may be possible to prevent overflow with upcasting when prevention without upcasting is not possible or practical. If the integers in question are already long primitive types, then upcasting is not possible with primitive types in Java.

The BigInteger technique comprises using BigInteger for the arithmetic operation or expression using library methods that use BigInteger. BigInteger does not overflow. It will use all available memory, if necessary. Its arithmetic methods are normally only slightly less efficient than integer operations. It is still possible that a result using BigInteger may be beyond the maximum or minimum values for an integer, however, overflow will not occur in the arithmetic leading to the result. Programming and design will still need to determine what to do if a BigInteger result is beyond the maximum or minimum values for the desired primitive result type, e.g., int or long.

The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute's CERT program and Oracle have created a set of standards for secure Java programming. Included in the standards are techniques for preventing and detecting integer overflow. The standard is published as a freely accessible online resource here: The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java

The standard's section that describes and contains practical examples of coding techniques for preventing or detecting integer overflow is here: NUM00-J. Detect or prevent integer overflow

Book form and PDF form of The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java are also available.

Answer 6

There are libraries that provide safe arithmetic operations, which check integer overflow/underflow . For example, Guava's IntMath.checkedAdd(int a, int b) returns the sum of a and b, provided it does not overflow, and throws ArithmeticException if a + b overflows in signed int arithmetic.