Short to int automatic promotion

Question

public class Yikes1 {
    public static void go(Long n) {
        System.out.println(\"Long \"); // printed
    }

    public static void go(Short n) {
        Syste         


        

Answer 1

The binding sequence works as follows:

1. Exact match (Ex. int--> int)
2. Promotion (Ex. int --> long)
3. Autoboxing/Unboxing (Ex. int --> Integer)
4. Varags (Ex. int --> int...)

Answer 2

Okay, when there's no method, which accepts short, there's 2 options: autobox it into Short or cast to integer. JLS states, that the second option in prefered:

Method invocation contexts allow the use of one of the following:

1. an identity conversion (§5.1.1)

2. a widening primitive conversion (§5.1.2)

3. a widening reference conversion (§5.1.5)

4. a boxing conversion (§5.1.7) optionally followed by widening reference conversion

5. an unboxing conversion (§5.1.8) optionally followed by a widening primitive conversion.

What you expect here is a boxing conversion, but what you get is a widening primitive conversion.

You can read more about boxing here to correctly understand the relation between short and Short.