[Chapter 4] 4.16 Constant Expressions
Author: Mark Grand
Date: Thu Jul 31 13:10:51 1997

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| Chapter 4 Expressions |

## 4.16 Constant Expressions

A constant expression is an expression that always produces the same result. More precisely, a constant expression is an expression that produces a pure value of a primitive data type and is only composed of the following:

- Literals of primitive data types

- String literals

- Variables that are declared `final` and are initialized by constant expressions

- Type casts to primitive data types or the type `String`

- The unary operators `+ -`, `~`, and `!`

- The binary operators *, `/`, `%`, `+`, `-`, `<<`, `>>`, `>>>`, `<`, `<=`, >=, `>`, ==, `!=`, `&`, `^`, `|`, `&&`, and `||`

- The ternary operator `?:`

Note that expressions that use `++`, `- -`, and `instanceof` are not constant expressions. Also note that expressions that produce or contain references to objects that are not `String` objects are never constant expressions.

The compiler generally evaluates a constant expression and substitutes the result for the expression during the compilation process.

References Additive Operators; Bitwise/Logical Operators; Boolean Operators; Casts; Conditional Operator; Equality Comparison Operators; Interface Variables; Local Variables; Literals; Multiplicative Operators; Relational Comparison Operators; Shift Operators; Unary Operators; Variables

Data Type of an Expression |  | Declarations