The main difference is related to where they stay in the memory, objects are stored in the heap while value type are stored directly in the Stack ...
heap : is an area of memory used for dynamic memory allocation.
stack : is the section of memory that is allocated for automatic variables within functions. Data is stored in stack using the Last In First Out (LIFO) method.
About NSInteger and NSNumber :
NSInteger is nothing more than a synonym for a long integer, while NSNumber is an Objective-C class, a subclass of NSValue to be specific.
Answer from aleroot on Stack OverflowW3Schools
w3schools.com › java › java_data_types_non-prim.asp
Java Non-Primitive Data Types
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).
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › java › java-data-types
Java Data Types - GeeksforGeeks
They are created by users and include types like String, Class, Object, Interface, and Array. String represents a sequence of characters enclosed in double quotes. Unlike C/C++, Java strings are objects and are immutable.
Published January 16, 2026
iphone - What is the difference between primitive data type vs an non primitive data type(apple defined data type)? - Stack Overflow
What's the basic difference between the two..? it would be nice if can someone explain using the example of NSInteger and NSNumber.. Thanks More on stackoverflow.com
What is the difference between primitive and non-primitive data types? When are both used? Can you use them synonymously?
You can see what data types are primitives here on MDN: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Primitive Technically, the differences can be subtle, but the big difference is that primitives are immutable, meaning you can't add to or modify properties within them like you can with objects. While you can have objects that are also immutable, primitives are always immutable. If you ever need to change a primitive value, it always has to be reassigned. It can't be modified. Primitives also generally represent a low-level value, not something complex. Things like numbers, strings and booleans make up primitives while more complex types like Dates and Arrays are defined by objects. Most primitives also have object variations of themselves. For example you can have the primitive number 5 or the number object new Number(5). However, you should almost always avoid the object version of primitive types and stick to using their primitive values. More on reddit.com
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April 11, 2023What is the reasons and the benefit of non-primitive data in Java?
so I can do this concisely: foreach Student s in MyProgrammingClass s.fail; More on reddit.com
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August 5, 2021In Java, why is String a non-primitive data type? - Stack Overflow
In Java, we can directly use String to declare a string variable name and specify its value. We do not have to define the string as an array by using new keyword, even though String is non-primitiv... More on stackoverflow.com
Videos
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Java Primitive and Non-Primitive DataTypes #softwareengineer - YouTube
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Data Types in Java with Examples | Primitive and Non-Primitive ...
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Difference between Primitive and Non primitive Data types #primitive ...
Medium
medium.com › @AlexanderObregon › java-data-types-primitive-vs-non-primitive-417925cee746
Java Data Types: Primitive & Non-Primitive | Medium
November 16, 2023 - Non-Primitive Types: String, Array, Class objects, and various data structures like ArrayList, HashMap, etc. Primitive Types: Managed efficiently by the Java runtime due to their stack allocation and fixed size.
Great Learning
mygreatlearning.com › blog › it/software development › data types in java – primitive and non-primitive data types
Data Types in Java – Primitive and Non-Primitive Data Types
January 27, 2025 - Non-Primitive Data Types: These are more complex and include classes, arrays, and interfaces. Unlike primitive types, they reference memory locations where data is stored and provide additional functionality through methods and attributes.
Scaler
scaler.com › home › topics › non-primitive data types in java
Non-primitive Data Types in Java | Scaler Topics
June 29, 2024 - Non primitive data types in Java, like classes and arrays, reference memory locations in the heap where objects are stored.
Medium
ardijorganxhi.medium.com › understanding-primitive-and-non-primitive-data-types-in-java-595730a5eec9
Understanding Primitive and Non-Primitive data types in Java | by Ardi Jorganxhi | Medium
February 29, 2024 - Primitive data types are the fundamental building blocks for storing and manipulating data in the Java programming language. They are predefined by the language itself and represent basic values like numbers, characters, and true/false statements. Unlike non-primitive data types, they are not objects and don’t have any associated methods.
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The main difference is related to where they stay in the memory, objects are stored in the heap while value type are stored directly in the Stack ...
heap : is an area of memory used for dynamic memory allocation.
stack : is the section of memory that is allocated for automatic variables within functions. Data is stored in stack using the Last In First Out (LIFO) method.
About NSInteger and NSNumber :
NSInteger is nothing more than a synonym for a long integer, while NSNumber is an Objective-C class, a subclass of NSValue to be specific.
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object is : member data + function operating on the data
so, primitive data type is just data, no method directly related to it.
object is something like a module, include the data and function (method here).
NSInteger is primitive data type. NSNumber is object, it's member data maybe NSInteger.
Smartprogramming
smartprogramming.in › tutorials › java › non-primitive-data-types-in-java
Non-Primitive Data Types in Java
Non-Primitive Data Types are objects or references to objects, offering methods and functionality beyond raw data storage. Java does not have a fixed number of non-primitive data types like it does for primitive types.
SlideShare
slideshare.net › slideshow › datatypes-in-java-primitive-and-nonprimitive-pptx › 270066861
DATATYPES IN JAVA primitive and nonprimitive.pptx
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NxtWave
ccbp.in › blog › articles › difference-between-primitive-and-non-primitive-data-structure
Difference Between Primitive and Non-Primitive Data Structure
Java has automatic garbage collection in regards to memory dealt with these non-primitive references. Strict Typing: Java requires explicit type declarations, helping catch type-related errors at compile time. Everything is an Object: In Python, all types of data are implemented as objects, including the traditional primitives int, float and bool.
Oracle
docs.oracle.com › javase › tutorial › java › nutsandbolts › datatypes.html
Primitive Data Types (The Java™ Tutorials > Learning the Java Language > Language Basics)
Unicode escape sequences may be used elsewhere in a program (such as in field names, for example), not just in char or String literals. The Java programming language also supports a few special escape sequences for char and String literals: \b (backspace), \t (tab), \n (line feed), \f (form feed), \r (carriage return), \" (double quote), \' (single quote), and \\ (backslash). There's also a special null literal that can be used as a value for any reference type. null may be assigned to any variable, except variables of primitive types.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnjavascript › what is the difference between primitive and non-primitive data types? when are both used? can you use them synonymously?
r/learnjavascript on Reddit: What is the difference between primitive and non-primitive data types? When are both used? Can you use them synonymously?
April 11, 2023 -
I am new to javascript and still cannot understand the difference.
Thanks!
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You can see what data types are primitives here on MDN: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Primitive Technically, the differences can be subtle, but the big difference is that primitives are immutable, meaning you can't add to or modify properties within them like you can with objects. While you can have objects that are also immutable, primitives are always immutable. If you ever need to change a primitive value, it always has to be reassigned. It can't be modified. Primitives also generally represent a low-level value, not something complex. Things like numbers, strings and booleans make up primitives while more complex types like Dates and Arrays are defined by objects. Most primitives also have object variations of themselves. For example you can have the primitive number 5 or the number object new Number(5). However, you should almost always avoid the object version of primitive types and stick to using their primitive values.
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If it's not a primitive, it's actually secretly an object. 🤫
W3Schools
w3schools.com › java › java_data_types.asp
Java Data Types
Access Modifiers Non-Access Modifiers Java Encapsulation Java Packages / API Java Inheritance Java Polymorphism Java super Keyword Java Inner Classes Java Abstraction Java Interface Java Anonymous Java Enum ... Java Data Structures Java Collections Java List Java ArrayList Java LinkedList Java List Sorting Java Set Java HashSet Java TreeSet Java LinkedHashSet Java Map Java HashMap Java TreeMap Java LinkedHashMap Java Iterator Java Algorithms
Educative
educative.io › answers › non-primitive-data-types-in-java
Non-primitive data types in Java
Java is a language that is widely used in the industry of computer science. The specialty of Java is that it provides predefined data types (i.e., primitive data types). These data types have no additional methods attached to them and are pre-defined. The other type of data that Java has is non-primitive data.
Vinothqaacademy
vinothqaacademy.com › docs › non-primitive-data-types
Non Primitive Data Types – Vinoth Tech Solutions
Non-primitive data types in Java are more complex than primitive data types. They include classes, interfaces, arrays, and enums.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › what is the reasons and the benefit of non-primitive data in java?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: What is the reasons and the benefit of non-primitive data in Java?
August 5, 2021 -
I am new to Java and I dont get the reason behide non primitive data type that is created by a programmer e.g. School student, in this case School is non-primitive data .
Whats the point of this and how is it useful?
Please enlighten me
Thank you for answering
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so I can do this concisely: foreach Student s in MyProgrammingClass s.fail;
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It's a way of building a schematic of something that you'll need in the future. Rather than rewriting the entire functionality everytime you need to use a custom class, such as a Vehicle class, you use the previously defined class, set the initial parameters and you're ready to go. Basically, without non-primitive data types you'd be rewriting a lot of the same code and you'd barely make any progress. "If you're building a car, why bother reinventing the wheel?" - some dude
Edureka
edureka.co › blog › data-types-in-java
Data Types in Java | Primitive and Non-Primitive Data Types | Edureka
July 5, 2024 - In this article, I will give you a brief insight into the different data types in Java. According to the properties they possess, data types are divided into two groups: ... Primitive Data Types: A primitive data type is pre-defined by the programming language. The size and type of variable values are specified, and it has no additional methods. Non-Primitive Data Types: These data types are not actually defined by the programming language but are created by the programmer.
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String is non-primitive because only class can have methods. Primitive can not. And String need many functions to be called upon while processing like substring, indexof, equals, touppercase. It would not have been possible without making it class.
Also class has made it possible to make strings immutable and final to enhance security and efficiency by allowing pooling.
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The String Javadoc clearly indicates that String is a subclass of Object; and further String.equals(Object) overrides Object.equals(Object).
JLS-3.10.5. String Literals specifies that
A string literal consists of zero or more characters enclosed in double quotes.
Also, JLS-4.3.3. The Class String adds
Instances of class String represent sequences of Unicode code points.
A String object has a constant (unchanging) value.
String literals (§3.10.5) are references to instances of class String.
The string concatenation operator + (§15.18.1) implicitly creates a new String object when the result is not a compile-time constant expression (§15.28).
It's also worth pointing out that arrays are also Object(s), and An Array of Characters is Not a String. Finally, if a String wasn't an Object it couldn't be null.
Medium
medium.com › @marktbss › java-ep-10-non-primitive-data-type-5583e5e65817
[Java] EP : 10 Non-Primitive Data Type | by Aiya Aiyara | Medium
December 4, 2023 - ในบทนี้จะทำความรู้จักกับ Non-Primitive Data Type ที่ต้องรู้และเข้าใจ เริ่มจาก Interface ถ้าให้คำจกัดความที่ดีที่สุดในความเห็นของผม
Upgrad
upgrad.com › home › blog › software development › data types in java: primitive & non-primitive data types
Data Types in Java – Your Quick Beginner’s Guide
August 7, 2025 - Non-primitive data types, also known as reference types, are a key feature in Java’s object-oriented architecture. Unlike primitive data types that store actual values in memory, non-primitive types store references (or memory addresses) that point to the actual objects in the heap memory.