Is autoboxing possible for the classes I create?

Is there any way to use autoboxing for the classes I create? For example, I have this subclass of Number.

public class UnsignedInteger extends Number {
    int n;

    public UnsignedInteger(int n) {
        if(n >= 0)
            this.n = n;
        else
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Only positive integers are supported");
    }
}

Now, UnsignedInteger i = new UnsignedInteger(88); works perfectly fine, but is there any way to make this compile : UnsignedInteger i = 88;? It won't for me. Thanks in advance!


In short, no. There's no way to get that to compile.

Java only defines a limited set of pre-defined boxing conversions.

From the JLS, section 5.1.7:

Boxing conversion converts expressions of primitive type to corresponding expressions of reference type. Specifically, the following nine conversions are called the boxing conversions:

  • From type boolean to type Boolean

  • From type byte to type Byte

  • From type short to type Short

  • From type char to type Character

  • From type int to type Integer

  • From type long to type Long

  • From type float to type Float

  • From type double to type Double

  • From the null type to the null type

Additionally, one might think of overloading the = operator to perform this conversion, but operator overloading is not supported in Java, unlike in C++, where this would be possible.

So your conversion is not possible in Java.


No, unfortunately. Automatic boxing conversions (as per JLS §5.1.7) are only defined for the standard primitive wrapper classes.


In short : No, it's not possible. For this to work, you need operator overloading, which is not available in Java. See link.