Java Long shortValue() Method

The Long.shortValue() method in Java is used to convert a Long object to a short primitive.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. shortValue() Method Syntax
3. Examples
   • Converting a Long to short
   • Handling Overflow
   • Handling null Values
4. Real-World Use Case
5. Conclusion

Introduction

The Long.shortValue() method is an instance method in the Long class in Java. It converts a Long object to a short primitive. This method is useful when you need to narrow down a Long to a short for certain operations or storage, bearing in mind that this conversion may lead to loss of precision or overflow.

shortValue()() Method Syntax

The syntax for the Long.shortValue() method is as follows:

public short shortValue()

The method returns:

• The short value represented by this Long object.

Examples

Converting a Long to short

The shortValue() method can be used to convert a Long object to a short primitive.

Example

public class LongToShortExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Long longObject = 12345L;
        short shortValue = longObject.shortValue();
        
        System.out.println("Short value of 12345L: " + shortValue);
    }
}

Output:

Short value of 12345L: 12345

In this example, the Long object 12345L is converted to the short primitive 12345.

Handling Overflow

When converting large Long values, the shortValue() method may result in overflow and wrap around.

Example

public class LargeLongToShortExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Long longObject = 70000L; // Larger than Short.MAX_VALUE
        
        short shortValue = longObject.shortValue();
        
        System.out.println("Short value of 70000L: " + shortValue);
    }
}

Output:

Short value of 70000L: 4464

In this example, the Long value 70000L exceeds the range of the short type (which is -32768 to 32767), resulting in a wrap-around value of 4464.

Handling null Values

When dealing with Long objects, it's important to handle null values to avoid NullPointerException.

Example

public class NullHandlingExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Long longObject = null;
        
        if (longObject != null) {
            short shortValue = longObject.shortValue();
            System.out.println("Short value: " + shortValue);
        } else {
            System.out.println("The Long object is null.");
        }
    }
}

Output:

The Long object is null.

In this example, the code checks if the Long object is null before attempting to convert it to a short primitive.

Real-World Use Case

Converting User Input

In a real-world application, you might need to convert user input, which is often in the form of Long objects, to short primitives for calculations or storage.

Example

import java.util.Scanner;

public class UserInputExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
        System.out.println("Enter a long number: ");
        
        Long longObject = scanner.nextLong();
        short shortValue = longObject.shortValue();
        
        short result = (short) (shortValue * 2);
        System.out.println("The result of doubling the input is: " + result);
        
        scanner.close();
    }
}

Output (example input 12345):

Enter a long number: 
The result of doubling the input is: -8190

In this example, the user input is read as a Long object and then converted to a short primitive for a calculation. Note that the result may wrap around due to the limited range of the short type.

Conclusion

The Long.shortValue() method in Java is a straightforward way to convert Long objects to short primitives. By understanding how to use this method, you can efficiently handle tasks that involve converting Long objects to short primitives in your Java applications. Whether you are performing arithmetic operations, handling large values, or avoiding null values, the shortValue() method provides a reliable solution for these tasks.