Type casting in Java is the process of converting one data type to another data type using the casting operator. It is useful when we need to perform operations on different data types or when we want to store a value of one data type into a variable of another data type. There are two types of type casting in Java:

• Widening Casting: This is done automatically when passing a smaller size type to a larger size type. For example, converting a byte to a short, a short to a char, a char to an int, an int to a long, a long to a float, or a float to a double.

• Narrowing Casting: This must be done manually by placing the type in parentheses in front of the value. For example, converting a double to an int, a float to a long, a long to an int, an int to a char, a char to a short, or a short to a byte.

Type casting is important in Java because it allows us to handle user input and ensure the right data type is used at the right time. Implicit type casting is done automatically by the compiler when there is no loss of data, while explicit type casting requires manual intervention and is used when there is a possibility of data loss.