Java Data Types
Object Oriented Programming in Java
Java Data Types
int myNum = 5; // Integer (whole number)
float myFloatNum = 5.99f; // Floating point
number
char myLetter = 'D'; // Character
boolean myBool = true; // Boolean
String myText = "Hello"; // String
Data Types
Data types are divided into two groups:
•Primitive data types -
includes byte, short, int, long, float, double, boolean and char
•Non-primitive data types - such as String, Arrays and Classes
Primitive Data Types
• A primitive data type specifies the size and type of variable values,
and it has no additional methods.
• There are eight primitive data types in Java:
Data Type Size Description
byte 1 byte Stores whole numbers from -128 to 127
short 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 type Tree
Java Numbers
Primitive number types are divided into two groups:
Integer types stores whole numbers, positive or negative (such as 123 or -456), without
decimals.
Valid types are byte, short, int and long. Which type you should use, depends on the
numeric value.
Floating point types represents numbers with a fractional part, containing one or more
decimals. There are two types: float and double.
Non-Primitive 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.
