TypeRef

Type reference (allowed for classOf[], is/asInstanceOf[]).

A TypeRef has exactly the same level of precision as a JVM type. There is a one-to-one relationship between a TypeRef and an instance of java.lang.Class at run-time. This means that:

• All primitive types have their TypeRef (including scala.Byte and scala.Short), and they are different from their boxed versions.
• JS types are not erased to any
• Array types are like on the JVM

A TypeRef therefore uniquely identifies a classOf[T]. It is also the type refs that are used in method signatures, and which therefore dictate JVM/IR overloading.