long and long int are identical. So are long long and long long int . In both cases, the int is optional. As to the difference between the two sets, the C++ standard mandates minimum ranges for each, and that long long is at least as wide as long .
But before starting the blog post, I want to make you clear that long and long int are identical and also long long and long long int. In both cases, the int is optional. There are several shorthands for built-in types. Let's see some examples of signed built-in types.
Large IntegersIf you need to hold an integer larger than the Integer data type can hold, you can use the Long data type instead. Long variables can hold numbers from -9,223,372,036,854,775,808 through 9,223,372,036,854,775,807. Operations with Long are slightly slower than with Integer .
The type long is used where the type int is not that large to hold the desired value. The range of long is –9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 which is quite large, to hold the larger values like big whole numbers.
Long
is the Object
form of long
, and Integer
is the object form of int
.
The long
uses 64 bits. The int
uses 32 bits, and so can only hold numbers up to ±2 billion (-231 to +231-1).
You should use long
and int
, except where you need to make use of methods inherited from Object
, such as hashcode
. Java.util.collections
methods usually use the boxed (Object
-wrapped) versions, because they need to work for any Object
, and a primitive type, like int
or long
, is not an Object
.
Another difference is that long
and int
are pass-by-value, whereas Long
and Integer
are pass-by-reference value, like all non-primitive Java types. So if it were possible to modify a Long
or Integer
(it's not, they're immutable without using JNI code), there would be another reason to use one over the other.
A final difference is that a Long
or Integer
could be null
.
There are a couple of things you can't do with a primitive type:
null
valueObject
sUnless you need any of those, you should prefer primitive types, since they require less memory.
int
, when holding numbers.int
is too small, use a long
long
is too small, use BigInteger
Collection
, handling null
, ...) use Integer
/Long
insteadAn int
is a 32-bit integer; a long
is a 64-bit integer. Which one to use depends on how large the numbers are that you expect to work with.
int
and long
are primitive types, while Integer
and Long
are objects. Primitive types are more efficient, but sometimes you need to use objects; for example, Java's collection classes can only work with objects, so if you need a list of integers you have to make it a List<Integer>
, for example (you can't use int
in a List
directly).
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