Simple way to get wrapper class type in Java

Apache Commons Lang has a utility method to do this (ClassUtils.primitiveToWrapper()), which will be just as ugly under the covers, but at least you can pretend it's nice.

You can call class.isPrimitive() to know if it is a primitive or not, however, there is no boxing method to convert the classes within the JDK. There is at least one open bug relating to this.

Here is another way if you don't need highly optimized code:

    Class<?> primitive=long.class;
    Class<?> boxed=Array.get(Array.newInstance(primitive,1),0).getClass();
    System.out.println(primitive.getName());
    System.out.println(boxed.getName());

(Editing/adding explanation)

At first, it was to see if Java has a method to give you the wrapper class when given a primitive type. Couldn't find any.

Then, it was to see if you can have Java create a primitive value when give a primitive type (then you can somehow get an object out of it). Couldn't find a way to do this.

But then it was found out that you CAN have Java create an array of primitive values when given a primitive type. And then there is a Java method that gives you an object of the wrapping type of the array element(which is primitive). Once you have the object, you can then get the type.

So here is how the whole thing work:

The method Array.newInstance() creates a array of whatever type you specify, whether it is primitive or object. In the case of object, all elements are object type but initialized to null. In the case of primitive, elements are primitive type. But primitive variable/array element can't be null, so they have the default value of the primitive type, e.g. int will be zero. Thus no elements will be null. And now if you try to get the value of an element by using Array.get(), Array.get() has no choice but box that primitive value to an object, e.g. int to Integer, because Array.get() can't return primitive value. Now you have an object of the boxing(wrapping) type of you original primitive type. Finally calling Object.getClass() gives you the boxing(wrapping) type.

This trick works with any primitive type you have in Java today and in the future.

I use Google Collections Library in my answer, because I'm spoiled like that, but you can probably see how to do it with plain HashMaps if you prefer.

  // safe because both Long.class and long.class are of type Class<Long>
  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
  private static <T> Class<T> wrap(Class<T> c) {
    return c.isPrimitive() ? (Class<T>) PRIMITIVES_TO_WRAPPERS.get(c) : c;
  }

  private static final Map<Class<?>, Class<?>> PRIMITIVES_TO_WRAPPERS
    = new ImmutableMap.Builder<Class<?>, Class<?>>()
      .put(boolean.class, Boolean.class)
      .put(byte.class, Byte.class)
      .put(char.class, Character.class)
      .put(double.class, Double.class)
      .put(float.class, Float.class)
      .put(int.class, Integer.class)
      .put(long.class, Long.class)
      .put(short.class, Short.class)
      .put(void.class, Void.class)
      .build();

It is odd that nothing exists in the JDK for this, but indeed nothing does.

EDIT: I'd totally forgotten that we released this:

http://google.github.io/guava/releases/21.0/api/docs/com/google/common/primitives/Primitives.html

It has the wrap() method, plus unwrap() and a few other incidental things.