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Result type determination begins from the top of the table; the compiler applies the first matching rule. The Operand 2 and Operand 3 columns refer to operand2 and operand3 (from the previous definition) respectively. In the table, constant int refers to constant expressions of type int (such as '0' or variables declared final).

See §5.1.7, "Boxing Conversion,", §5.1.10, "Capture Conversion," and §15.12.2.7, "Inferring Type Arguments Based on Actual Arguments," of the Java Language Specification for additional information on the final table entry.

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In this noncompliant code example, the programmer expects that both print statements will print the value of alpha as a char—A. The first print statement prints A because the compiler applies the eighth rule 8 from the result type determination table to determine that the second and third operands of the conditional expression are, or are converted to, type char. However, the second print statement prints 65 — the —the value of alpha as an int. The first matching rule from the table is the tenth rule 10. Consequently, the compiler promotes the value of alpha to type int.

public class Expr {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    char alpha = 'A';
    int i = 0;
    /* otherOther code. Value of i may change */
    boolean trueExp = ...; // some expression that evaluates to true
    System.out.print(trueExp ? alpha : 0); // prints A
    System.out.print(trueExp ? alpha : i); // prints 65
  }
}

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Bibliography

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