Data Types in Java Programming Language

What is Data Type

In the Java programming language, data types specify the type of data that a variable can hold. Each data type requires a different amount of memory and has a specific range of values.

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Understanding data types is crucial because it helps you choose the appropriate type for storing and manipulating data. Java supports the following data types given below.

• The short name for Integer data type is int.
• The short name for Float data type is float.
• The short name for Double data type is double.
• The short name for Character data type is char.

Basic Data Types in Java

Let's go through the basic data types in Java with simple explanations and examples.

int (Integer)

• Description: Store whole numbers without decimals.
• Memory Size: 4 bytes.
• Range: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.

int guest_count = 20;

float (Float)

• Description: Stores numbers with decimals (upto 7 decimal places).
• Memory Size: 4 bytes.
• Range: −3.4E+38 to 3.4E+38 (meaning -3.4 × 10³⁸ to 3.4 × 10³⁸).

float budget = 5000.00f;

double (Double)

• Description: Stores numbers with decimals (upto 15 decimal places).
• Memory Size: 8 bytes.
• Range: -1.7E+308 to 1.7E+308 (meaning -1.7 × 10³⁰⁸ to 1.7 × 10³⁰⁸).

double distance = 1263.2514376;

char (Character)

• Description: Stores a single character within single quotes.
• Memory Size: 2 byte.
• Range: 0 to 65535.

char grade = 'A';

Storage Size and Range of Built-in Data Types in Java