Lesson 3: Data Types

In computer science and computer programming, a data type or simply type is an attribute of data which tells the compiler or interpreter how the programmer intends to use the data

List of Common Data types

Integer/Long
Float/Double
Char
String/Text
Boolean

Integer = An integer type value is a whole number representation in 32 bits, this means any variable in your program with integer type will not accept numbers with fractions like 1.1,1.2,3.8 but will only accepts numbers like 1,8,3,9,10,22.

Example Declarations:

C/C++ 

     int variablename;

Java 

     int variablename;

Visual Basic 

     Dim variablename as Integer

Long = Long variable type is a whole number representation just like Integer but in a 64 bits and will accept values bigger than Integer type.

Example Declarations:

C/C++ 

     long variablename;

Java 

     long variablename;

Visual Basic 

     Dim variablename as Long

Float and Double = This is real numbers representation. This will accept whole numbers and numbers with fractions as well.

Example Declarations:

C/C++ 

     float variablename; double variablename;

Java 

     float variablename; double variablename;

Visual Basic 

     Dim variablename as Double (Basic will only accepts Double)

Char = Char data type will accepts values like letters, a single character, this will not accepts word/s or a series of characters, a sentence.

Example Declarations:

C/C++ 

     char variablename;

Java 

     char variablename;

Visual Basic 

     Dim variablename as char

String/Text = Unlike char, this data type will accepts a series of characters, word/s, a sentence, even a paragraph.

Example Declarations:

C/C++ 

     char variablename[5]; //array of cahracters with length 5 or

     Char* variablename: //a char pointer

Java 

     String variablename;

Visaul Basic 

     Dim variablename as String

Boolean = A data type which only holds value of zero or one or a true/false.

Example Declarations:

C/C++ 

     bool variablename;

Java 

     boolean variablename;

Visual Basic 

     Dim variablename as Boolean

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