float x = 1 or float x = 1.0f

are there any benefits for the second?

>>8
A FloatingPointFactory would work something like this:


FloatingPointFactory floatingPointFactory = new DigitBasedFloatingPointFactory();
DigitBasedFloatingPointFactory digitBasedFloatingPointFactory = (DigitBasedFloatingPointFactory)floatingPointFactory;
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.setBase(10);
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.beginNumber();
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.pushDigit(3);
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.pushDecimalPoint();
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.pushDecimal(1);
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.pushDecimal(4);
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.pushDecimal(1);
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.pushDecimal(5);
digitBasedFloatingPointFactory.endNumber();
FloatingPointNumber pi = floatingPointFactory.createCurrentNumber();
return pi;

The problem with your example is that you entered a floating point number as an argument. It's a chicken egg dilemma.