🥊 A fighting sport 📦 Packing items 💻 Making an object

boxing

3 6.4

In programming, turning a simple value into an object so code can use it where an object is needed

noun
/ˈbɑksɪŋ/

Specialized

: boxing

Examples

But this is called boxing.

Rocky V (1990)
This distinction makes it easier for the beginner but imposes strong limitations and leads to unnecessary pointer indirections and boxing/unboxing.

Blog text (32)
In programming, boxing is used to convert a primitive value into an object so it can be manipulated like other objects.
Java enables boxing, allowing developers to seamlessly convert primitive data types into their corresponding wrapper classes.
The concept of boxing is essential in programming languages that require objects for certain operations.

Compounds

boxing match

17 1.4

A fight between two boxers in a ring judged by officials

boxing glove

8 2.4

A padded leather glove boxers wear to protect their hand and the opponent from serious injury

boxing ring

5 1.9

A square area with ropes where boxers fight

Boxing Day

2 3.0

A public holiday on the first weekday after Christmas celebrated in the UK and some other countries

professional boxing

1 2.8

A sport where people get paid to fight with gloves

boxing equipment

2.9

Items like gloves, a punching bag, and headgear used for boxing training

Surface Forms

boxing singular

boxings plural

Morphology

boxing = box (semi-transparent) = box + ing

The programming sense is built on the familiar idea of 'boxing' as enclosing something, but it is a specialized technical extension.

Etymology

Boxing in programming uses the everyday idea of a box, a 'container'. It means putting a simple value into an object container so the program can use it like any other object.