What is the difference between explicit and implicit type casts?

Question

Can you please explain the difference between explicit and implicit type casts?

Answer 1

Explicit cast:

int x = 0;
float y = 3.8f;

x += (int) y; //Explicit cast.

This tells the compiler that the cast was intentional and that you know that the fractional part will go lost. The compiler won't complain.

Implicit cast:

int x = 0;
float y = 3.8f;

x += y; //Implicit cast

The compiler will complain because the fractional part will be lost when converting float to int.

Answer 2

Explicit Conversions

If a conversion cannot be made without a risk of losing information then it is an explicit conversion.

For example -

class ExplicitConversions
{
    static void Main()
    {
        int x;
        double y = 6358.057;
        // Cast double to int.
        x = (int)y;
        System.Console.WriteLine(x);
    } 
}

Implicit Conversions

If a conversion can be made without a risk of losing information then it is an implicit conversion. No special syntax is required because the conversion is type safe and no data is lost.

For example -

class ImplicitConversions
{
    static void Main()
    {
        int x = 6714;
        double y;
        // Cast int to double.
        y = x;
        System.Console.WriteLine(y);
    } 
}

Answer 3

A simple search will give lots of informations in the net.
difference between implicit and explicit type

Answer 4

int i = 2;

float a = i;        // Implicit
float b = (float)i; // Explicit