This class contains the logic for coercing data types before operators are applied to them.

The following is the list of rules applied for various type conversions.

 Applying arithmetic operator
   Binary operator - A {+,-,*} B
     if A and B are null
       return 0
     if A or B is Float, Double, or String containing ".", "e", or "E"
       coerce both A and B to Double
       apply operator
     otherwise
       coerce both A and B to Long
       apply operator
     if operator results in exception (such as divide by 0), error
 
   Binary operator - A {/,div} B
     if A and B are null
       return 0
     otherwise
       coerce both A and B to Double
       apply operator
     if operator results in exception (such as divide by 0), error
 
   Binary operator - A {%,mod} B
     if A and B are null
       return 0
     if A or B is Float, Double, or String containing ".", "e" or "E"
       coerce both to Double
       apply operator
     otherwise
       coerce both A and B to Long
       apply operator
     if operator results in exception (such as divide by 0), error
 
   Unary minus operator - -A
     if A is null
       return 0
     if A is String
       if A contains ".", "e", or "E"
         coerce to Double, apply operator
       otherwise
         coerce to a Long and apply operator
     if A is Byte,Short,Integer,Long,Float,Double
       retain type, apply operator
     if operator results in exception, error
     otherwise
       error

 Applying "empty" operator - empty A
   if A is null
     return true
   if A is zero-length String
     return true
   if A is zero-length array
     return true
   if A is List and ((List) A).isEmpty()
     return true
   if A is Map and ((Map) A).isEmpty()
     return true
   otherwise
     return false
 
 Applying logical operators
   Binary operator - A {and,or} B
     coerce both A and B to Boolean, apply operator
   NOTE - operator stops as soon as expression can be determined, i.e.,
     A and B and C and D - if B is false, then only A and B is evaluated
   Unary not operator - not A
     coerce A to Boolean, apply operator
 
 Applying relational operator
   A {<,>,<=,>=,lt,gt,lte,gte} B
     if A==B
       if operator is >= or <=
         return true
       otherwise
         return false
     if A or B is null
       return false
     if A or B is Float or Double
       coerce both A and B to Double
       apply operator
     if A or B is Byte,Short,Character,Integer,Long
       coerce both A and B to Long
       apply operator
     if A or B is String
       coerce both A and B to String, compare lexically
     if A is Comparable
       if A.compareTo (B) throws exception
         error
       otherwise
         use result of A.compareTo(B)
     if B is Comparable
       if B.compareTo (A) throws exception
         error
       otherwise
         use result of B.compareTo(A)
     otherwise
       error
 
 Applying equality operator
   A {==,!=} B
     if A==B
       apply operator
     if A or B is null
       return false for ==, true for !=
     if A or B is Float or Double
       coerce both A and B to Double
       apply operator
     if A or B is Byte,Short,Character,Integer,Long
       coerce both A and B to Long
       apply operator
     if A or B is Boolean
       coerce both A and B to Boolean
       apply operator
     if A or B is String
       coerce both A and B to String, compare lexically
     otherwise
       if an error occurs while calling A.equals(B)
         error
       apply operator to result of A.equals(B)
 
 coercions
 
   coerce A to String
     A is String
       return A
     A is null
       return ""
     A.toString throws exception
       error
     otherwise
       return A.toString
 
   coerce A to primitive Number type N
     A is null or ""
       return 0
     A is Character
       convert to short, apply following rules
     A is Boolean
       error
     A is Number type N
       return A
     A is Number with less precision than N
       coerce quietly
     A is Number with greater precision than N
       coerce quietly
     A is String
       new N.valueOf(A) throws exception
         error
       return N.valueOf(A)
     otherwise
       error
 
   coerce A to Character should be
     A is null or ""
       return (char) 0
     A is Character
       return A
     A is Boolean
       error
     A is Number with less precision than short
       coerce quietly - return (char) A
     A is Number with greater precision than short
       coerce quietly - return (char) A
     A is String
       return A.charAt (0)
     otherwise
       error
 
   coerce A to Boolean
     A is null or ""
       return false
     A is Boolean
       return A
     A is String
       Boolean.valueOf(A) throws exception
         error
       return Boolean.valueOf(A)
     otherwise
       error
 
   coerce A to any other type T
     A is null
       return null
     A is assignable to T
       coerce quietly
     A is String
       T has no PropertyEditor
         if A is "", return null
         otherwise error
       T's PropertyEditor throws exception
         if A is "", return null
         otherwise error
       otherwise
         apply T's PropertyEditor
     otherwise
       error