[layer8]

Java has char as an unsigned 16-bit integer type. They should have made byte unsigned as well.

[pjmlp]

Usually you don't do arithmetic with char in Java, this isn't C culture of anything goes.

[uecker]

It is not even possible to do arithmetic on char in C.

[pjmlp]

    #include <stdio.h>

    unsigned int pack_rgb(unsigned char r, unsigned char g, unsigned char b) {
        return (r << 16) | (g << 8) | b;
    }

    unsigned int pack_rgb_arith(unsigned char r, unsigned char g, unsigned char b) {
        return (r * 65536) + (g * 256) + b;
    }

    int main(void)
    {
        printf("The color value of (246, 176, 223) is %d\n", pack_rgb(246, 176, 223));
        printf("The color value of (246, 176, 223) is %d\n", pack_rgb_arith(246, 176, 223));
    }

Compiler Explorer link, https://godbolt.org/z/3jExdaTT9

I would expect a better comment from someone working on the standard.

[uecker]

You should know that the type is promoted to int first, which is also what makes your example work. This is what happens when you perform the computation using an non-promoting 8 bit unsigned type: https://godbolt.org/z/fxxva4nWq

[3836293648]

Don't they get promoted to short?

[layer8]

There’s nothing preventing you from doing so.

[pjmlp]

I did not say otherwise, I said the culture is not the same towards safety.