How does Java handle integer underflows and overfl

Question

How does Java handle integer underflows and overflows?

Leading on from that, how would you check/test that this is occurring?

Answer 1

I think you should use something like this and it is called Upcasting:

public int multiplyBy2(int x) throws ArithmeticException {
    long result = 2 * (long) x;    
    if (result > Integer.MAX_VALUE || result < Integer.MIN_VALUE){
        throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
    }
    return (int) result;
}

You can read further here: Detect or prevent integer overflow

It is quite reliable source.

Answer 2

There is one case, that is not mentioned above:

int res = 1;
while (res != 0) {
    res *= 2;

}
System.out.println(res);

will produce:

0

This case was discussed here: Integer overflow produces Zero.

Answer 3

It wraps around.

e.g:

public class Test {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int i = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
        int j = Integer.MIN_VALUE;

        System.out.println(i+1);
        System.out.println(j-1);
    }
}

prints

-2147483648
2147483647

Answer 4

By default, Java's int and long math silently wrap around on overflow and underflow. (Integer operations on other integer types are performed by first promoting the operands to int or long, per JLS 4.2.2.)

As of Java 8, java.lang.Math provides addExact, subtractExact, multiplyExact, incrementExact, decrementExact and negateExact static methods for both int and long arguments that perform the named operation, throwing ArithmeticException on overflow. (There's no divideExact method -- you'll have to check the one special case (MIN_VALUE / -1) yourself.)

As of Java 8, java.lang.Math also provides toIntExact to cast a long to an int, throwing ArithmeticException if the long's value does not fit in an int. This can be useful for e.g. computing the sum of ints using unchecked long math, then using toIntExact to cast to int at the end (but be careful not to let your sum overflow).

If you're still using an older version of Java, Google Guava provides IntMath and LongMath static methods for checked addition, subtraction, multiplication and exponentiation (throwing on overflow). These classes also provide methods to compute factorials and binomial coefficients that return MAX_VALUE on overflow (which is less convenient to check). Guava's primitive utility classes, SignedBytes, UnsignedBytes, Shorts and Ints, provide checkedCast methods for narrowing larger types (throwing IllegalArgumentException on under/overflow, not ArithmeticException), as well as saturatingCast methods that return MIN_VALUE or MAX_VALUE on overflow.

Answer 5

It doesn't do anything -- the under/overflow just happens.

A "-1" that is the result of a computation that overflowed is no different from the "-1" that resulted from any other information. So you can't tell via some status or by inspecting just a value whether it's overflowed.

But you can be smart about your computations in order to avoid overflow, if it matters, or at least know when it will happen. What's your situation?

Answer 6

static final int safeAdd(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if (right > 0 ? left > Integer.MAX_VALUE - right
                : left < Integer.MIN_VALUE - right) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left + right;
}

static final int safeSubtract(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if (right > 0 ? left < Integer.MIN_VALUE + right
                : left > Integer.MAX_VALUE + right) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left - right;
}

static final int safeMultiply(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if (right > 0 ? left > Integer.MAX_VALUE/right
                  || left < Integer.MIN_VALUE/right
                : (right < -1 ? left > Integer.MIN_VALUE/right
                                || left < Integer.MAX_VALUE/right
                              : right == -1
                                && left == Integer.MIN_VALUE) ) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left * right;
}

static final int safeDivide(int left, int right)
                 throws ArithmeticException {
  if ((left == Integer.MIN_VALUE) && (right == -1)) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return left / right;
}

static final int safeNegate(int a) throws ArithmeticException {
  if (a == Integer.MIN_VALUE) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return -a;
}
static final int safeAbs(int a) throws ArithmeticException {
  if (a == Integer.MIN_VALUE) {
    throw new ArithmeticException("Integer overflow");
  }
  return Math.abs(a);
}