What is the difference between primitive and reference types in Java?

What is the difference between primitive and reference types in Java?

In Java, primitive types are basic data types like int, char, and boolean, while reference types refer to objects.

Can you give me examples of both types?

Sure! An example of a primitive type is int x = 5;, and a reference type example is String name = "John";.

How do they affect memory allocation?

Primitive types store values directly in memory, while reference types store a reference to the object's memory location.

What happens if I assign a reference type to a primitive type?

You can't directly assign a reference type to a primitive type, but you can convert it using methods like Integer.valueOf().