Difference between revisions of "Data Type"
(→Example) |
|||
Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
=Relevance= | =Relevance= | ||
+ | *[[Boolean]] | ||
+ | *[[Character]] | ||
+ | *[[Decimal]] | ||
+ | *[[Double]] | ||
+ | *[[Floating Point Number]] | ||
+ | *[[String]] | ||
=Explanation= | =Explanation= |
Revision as of 19:40, 19 June 2019
Contents
Definition
A data type is an attribute of data that tells the compiler how the programmer intends on using the data. A data type limits the values that an expression might take.
Relevance
Explanation
Information falls under a different data type. Different data types are used for different intents: for math you may use integers, floats, doubles, etc. while for keeping a contact list, strings would be more appropriate. As mentioned before, data types limit which operations can be used on them. A string cannot be added to an integer because an integer can only be a whole number while a string can be a name, address, etc. However, an integer can be added to a string, this is known as Concatenation. It’s all about using the right data type for the right job.
Example
Here's an example of a few different types of variables being initialized along with a few Comments
string name = “John Doe”; | // strings are typically used to store information such as names, addresses, etc. because they can hold text. |
string jobTitle = "Sales Associate"; | // notice how a string's value has the quotation marks! |
bool isStudent= true; | // booleans can only be true or false. Great use in conditional statements! |
int age = 20; | // an int (short for integer) can only be a whole number. Since we typically say age as a whole number, we're using an int |
float payrate= 12.50f; | // unlike integers, a float (short for floating-point number) can hold more complex numbers with decimal places. Great for displaying the example's payrate! |