Is String a primitive data type in Java?

Is String a primitive data type in Java?

• A. Yes
• B. Sometimes
• C. No, it is a class and a non-primitive type
• D. Only in Java 9

Answer: (C)

Java distinguishes primitive types from reference types. Primitive types are the basic values like int, boolean, char, long, short, byte, float, and double, which store their actual data directly. String, however, is a class (java.lang.String), so variables of type String hold references to String objects rather than the raw value itself. Strings are immutable, meaning you don’t change a String in place; operations that seem to modify a string actually create new String objects. So while you can create and manipulate text with strings, they aren’t primitive values.

Java distinguishes primitive types from reference types. Primitive types are the basic values like int, boolean, char, long, short, byte, float, and double, which store their actual data directly. String, however, is a class (java.lang.String), so variables of type String hold references to String objects rather than the raw value itself. Strings are immutable, meaning you don’t change a String in place; operations that seem to modify a string actually create new String objects. So while you can create and manipulate text with strings, they aren’t primitive values.