Java Non-Primitive Data Types
Non-Primitive Data Types
Non-primitive data types are called reference types because they refer to objects.
The main difference between primitive and non-primitive data types are:
- Primitive types are predefined (already defined) in Java. Non-primitive types are created by the programmer and
is not defined by Java (except for
String). - Non-primitive types can be used to call methods to perform certain operations, while primitive types cannot.
- A primitive type always has a value, while non-primitive types can be
null. - A primitive type starts with a lowercase letter, while non-primitive types starts with an uppercase letter.
Examples of non-primitive types are Strings, Arrays, Classes, Interface, etc. You will learn more about these in a later chapter.
