Data Types in Java

Data Types in Java

Data Types
• Java Data Types
• Java is a statically typed language. The base of any programming
language is its data types and operators. Java comes with a rich set of
both data types and operators, which makes it suitable for any type of
programming.

• There are two categories of data types in Java:

• Primitive Data Types

• Non-Primitive DataTypes
Data Types
• Primitive Data Types in Java
• As the name suggests, the programming language pre-defines the
primitive data types. Primitive types are the most basic data types
available in Java. There are 8 primitive data types in Java: byte, char,
short, int, long, float, double and boolean.

• These data types act as the basic building blocks of data manipulation in
Java. Primitive data types have a constraint that they can hold data of
the same type and have a fixed size. Primitive data types are also called
intrinsic data types. We can also perform operations on primitive data
types.
Data Types
Data Types
• Java Characters
• A character is used to store a ‘single’ character. A single quote must
surround a character. The valid Character type is char. In Java, a character is
not an 8-bit quantity but here character is represented by a 16-bit Unicode.

• Syntax:

• char myChar = ’A’ ;

• Size: 2 bytes(16 bits)

Data Types
• A single character representing a digit, letter, or symbol.

• Default Value:

• ‘\u0000’ (0)

• Range:

• ‘\u0000’ (0) to ‘\uffff’ (65535)

Data Types
• public class CharClass
• {
• public static void main(String args[])
• {
• char myChar1 = 'A';
• char myChar2 = 'B';
• System.out.println("myChar1: " +myChar1);
• System.out.println("myChar2: " +myChar2);
• myChar2++; // valid increment operation
• System.out.println("The Incremented value of myChar2: " +myChar2);
• }
• }
Data Type Size Description
byte 1 byte Stores whole numbers from -128 to 127
Data
short
Types
2 bytes Stores whole numbers from -32,768 to 32,767
int 4 bytes Stores whole numbers from -2,147,483,648 to
2,147,483,647
long 8 bytes Stores whole numbers from -9,223,372,036,854,775,808
to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807

float 4 bytes Stores fractional numbers. Sufficient for storing 6 to 7

decimal digits
double 8 bytes Stores fractional numbers. Sufficient for storing 15 decimal
digits
boolean 1 bit Stores true or false values
char 2 bytes Stores a single character/letter or ASCII values
Data Types
• byte: The byte data type is an 8-bit signed two's complement integer. It
has a minimum value of -128 and a maximum value of 127 (inclusive).
The byte data type can be useful for saving memory in large arrays,
where the memory savings actually matters. They can also be used in
place of int where their limits help to clarify your code; the fact that a
variable's range is limited can serve as a form of documentation.
• short: The short data type is a 16-bit signed two's complement integer.
It has a minimum value of -32,768 and a maximum value of 32,767
(inclusive). As with byte, the same guidelines apply: you can use a short
to save memory in large arrays, in situations where the memory savings
actually matters.
Data Types
• int: By default, the int data type is a 32-bit signed two's complement
integer, which has a minimum value of -231 and a maximum value of
231-1. In Java SE 8 and later, you can use the int data type to
represent an unsigned 32-bit integer, which has a minimum value of 0
and a maximum value of 232-1. Use the Integer class to use int data
type as an unsigned integer. See the section The Number Classes for
more information. Static methods like compareUnsigned,
divideUnsigned etc have been added to the Integer class to support
the arithmetic operations for unsigned integers.
Data Types
• long: The long data type is a 64-bit two's complement integer. The
signed long has a minimum value of -263 and a maximum value of
263-1. In Java SE 8 and later, you can use the long data type to
represent an unsigned 64-bit long, which has a minimum value of 0
and a maximum value of 264-1. Use this data type when you need a
range of values wider than those provided by int. The Long class also
contains methods like compareUnsigned, divideUnsigned etc to
support arithmetic operations for unsigned long.
Data Types
• float: The float data type is a single-precision 32-bit IEEE 754 floating
point. Its range of values is beyond the scope of this discussion, but is
specified in the Floating-Point Types, Formats, and Values section of
the Java Language Specification. As with the recommendations for
byte and short, use a float (instead of double) if you need to save
memory in large arrays of floating point numbers. This data type
should never be used for precise values, such as currency. For that,
you will need to use the java.math.BigDecimal class instead. Numbers
and Strings covers BigDecimal and other useful classes provided by
the Java platform.
Data Types
• double: The double data type is a double-precision 64-bit IEEE 754 floating
point. Its range of values is beyond the scope of this discussion, but is specified
in the Floating-Point Types, Formats, and Values section of the Java Language
Specification. For decimal values, this data type is generally the default choice.
As mentioned above, this data type should never be used for precise values,
such as currency.
• boolean: The boolean data type has only two possible values: true and false.
Use this data type for simple flags that track true/false conditions. This data
type represents one bit of information, but its "size" isn't something that's
precisely defined.
• char: The char data type is a single 16-bit Unicode character. It has a minimum
value of '\u0000' (or 0) and a maximum value of '\uffff' (or 65,535 inclusive).
Data Types
• Non-primitive data types are called reference types because they refer to objects.

• The main difference between primitive and non-primitive data types are:

• Primitive types are predefined (already defined) in Java. Non-primitive types are created by the
programmer and is not defined by Java (except for String).
• Non-primitive types can be used to call methods to perform certain operations, while primitive types
cannot.
• A primitive type has always a value, while non-primitive types can be null.
• A primitive type starts with a lowercase letter, while non-primitive types starts with an uppercase
letter.
• The size of a primitive type depends on the data type, while non-primitive types have all the same size.
• Examples of non-primitive types are Strings, Arrays, Classes, Interface, etc.
Operators