Java: byte[1] vs byte[1024]

Question

I've been trying to get some streams working via TCP however I seem to fail, probably due to the fact that I don't understand byte streams enough.

I know what a byte it, it's 8-bit. example: 0000 0001 (which would be "int 1")

When i define let's say:

Byte[] myByte = new byte[1];

What does the "1" do? Is myByte capable of carrying only one byte?

Are you asking what an array is? Because the [Arrays](http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/nutsandbolts/arrays.html) tutorial is pretty clear what the `1` is. — Sotirios Delimanolis, Mar 17 '14 at 00:28
You are just making an array with `byte[] myByte = new byte[1];` part of the code. — wns349, Mar 17 '14 at 00:29
Nono I know very well what an Array is, so your saying that the number defines how many bytes the byte[] may carry? — basickarl, Mar 17 '14 at 00:29
@SotiriosDelimanolis Ah alright, I was looking at Byte tutorials, not the Array one, think you just answered my question :) — basickarl, Mar 17 '14 at 00:30

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:57

new type[x] is the syntax for an expression creating an array [object] (of type type[]¹) with x elements.

See the Nuts & Bolts: Arrays

An array is a container object that holds a fixed number of values of a single type. The length of an array is established when the array [object] is created (i.e. new byte[1]). After creation, its length is fixed ..

So, new byte[1] creates an array [object] for a single byte (length = 1), and new byte[1024] creates an array of 1024 byte elements (length = 1024).

¹ The code in the post is a bit "funny" because it uses Byte[] as the array type but new byte[1] to create the actual array object; it should be byte in both places. I'm ignoring that as a typo because automatic boxing of a primitive array is not supported in Java.

Java: byte[1] vs byte[1024]

1 Answers1