Java Primitive Data Types

Java Primitive Data Types

Primitive means basic, so primitive data types in Java means the basic data types that are present in the language. Java provides us different primitive data types that we can use in different situations. These are total 8 and can be categorise into

1.   Integers

2.   Floating numbers

3.   Characters

4.   Boolean

Integers are further dived into

1.   Byte

a.    The size of the byte data type is 1 byte and it can store positive and negative values

b.    It is used to store smaller values and range is -128 to 127

c.    Example

                                                         i.    Byte variableName=50;

2.   Short

a.    The size of the short data type is 2 bytes and it can also store positive and negative values

b.    Example

                                                         i.    Short variableName=2000;

3.   Int

a.    It has 4 bytes and can store bigger positive and negative values

b.    Example

                                                         i.    Int variablename=50000;

4.   Long

a.    It has 8 bytes and can store very large numbers (Positive, Negative). It ends with “L”

b.    Example

                                                         i.    Long variablename=100000000L;

 

Floating numbers are further divided into

1.   Float type

a.    Float data type contains 4 bytes and it is used to store fractional values. It supports 6 0r 7 decimal numbers. It ends with “f”

b.    Example

                                                         i.    Float variableName=2.2f;

2.   Double type

a.    Also used to store fractional values up to 15 decimal numbers

b.    It ends with “d”

c.    Example

                                                         i.    Double variableName=20.22d;

 

Characters include alphabets or letters and it also involves numbers

          It has 2 bytes and can be used to store characters and also ASCII values

          Character value should be placed in single quotation mark

Example

                   Char variableName=’A’;

Boolean includes two values

1.   True

2.   False

Boolean data type is used when we want to test some condition. Can be used in if-else, switch etc

 

String is sometimes also considered as data type in Java, but its actually not, because it has different methods and primitive data types does not contains methods

Example

          String name=”aslam”;