Non-Primitive Data Types
Non-primitive data types are called reference types because they refer to objects.
The main differences between primitive and non-primitive data types are:
- Primitive types in Java are predefined and built into the language, while non-primitive types are created by the programmer (except for
String). - Non-primitive types can be used to call methods to perform certain operations, whereas primitive types cannot.
- Primitive types start with a lowercase letter (like
int), while non-primitive types typically starts with an uppercase letter (likeString). - Primitive types always hold a value, whereas non-primitive types can be
null.
Examples of non-primitive types are Strings, Arrays, Classes etc. You will learn more about these in a later chapter.
