printing problem

[gk]

int a = 5;

System.out.println("Value is - " + ((a < 5) ? 9.9 : 9));

output: 9.0

where from 9.0 came from ? there is 9 but NOT 9.0

see, the condition a<5 is false.....so this should print 9

but output is 9.0

 

[Gordon Beaton]

int a = 5;

System.out.println("Value is - " + ((a < 5) ? 9.9 : 9));

output: 9.0

where from 9.0 came from ? there is 9 but NOT 9.0

see, the condition a<5 is false.....so this should print 9

but output is 9.0

An expression using the conditional operator ?: can only have one type
that must be determined at compile time. Since one of the operands is
float, the other is promoted to float and it becomes a float
expression.

It's described here, and the rule that's applied is called binary
numeric promotion:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/second_edition/html/expressions.doc.html#290293

/gordon

 

[Patricia Shanahan]

An expression using the conditional operator ?: can only have one type
that must be determined at compile time. Since one of the operands is
float, the other is promoted to float and it becomes a float
expression.

It's described here, and the rule that's applied is called binary
numeric promotion:

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/second_edition/html/expressions.doc.html#290293

/gordon

If this is specifically for printing, could you use strings rather than
numbers?

System.out.println("Value is - " + ((a < 5) ? "9.9" : "9"));

Patricia