C++ Type Conversion

In C++, type conversion refers to the process of converting a value from one data type to another. There are two types of type conversions in C++: implicit conversion and explicit conversion.

Implicit Conversion

Implicit conversion is when a value is automatically converted from one data type to another without the programmer explicitly specifying the conversion. This occurs when the target data type is larger than the source data type. For example:

1int x = 10;
2double y = x;

In the above code, the value of x is implicitly converted from int to double when it is assigned to y. This is because double is a larger data type than int, and it can accommodate the value of x without loss of information.

Explicit Conversion (Type Casting)

Explicit conversion, also known as type casting, is when a programmer explicitly converts a value from one data type to another. This is done by using a type cast operator, such as (data_type). For example:

1double x = 10.5;
2int y = (int)x;

In the above code, the value of x is explicitly converted from double to int by using the type cast operator (int). This conversion truncates the fractional part of x, and assigns the integer value to y.

It is important to be mindful of type conversions, as they can sometimes lead to unexpected results or loss of information. For example:

1int x = 10;
2double y = (double)x / 3;

In the above code, the value of x is explicitly converted to double before the division operation. However, the result of the division is still an integer, and it is truncated when it is assigned to y. To avoid this issue, one of the operands should be converted to double before the division operation.