C++ Lessons : 8. Data Types

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C++ Data Types

As explained in the Variables chapter, a variable in C++ must be a specified data type:

Example

int myNum = 5;               // Integer (whole number)
float myFloatNum = 5.99;     // Floating point number
double myDoubleNum = 9.98;   // Floating point number
char myLetter = 'D';         // Character
bool myBoolean = true;       // Boolean
string myText = "Hello";     // String

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Basic Data Types

The data type specifies the size and type of information the variable will store:

Data Type	Size	Description
boolean	1 byte	Stores true or false values
char	1 byte	Stores a single character/letter/number, or ASCII values
int	2 or 4 bytes	Stores whole numbers, without decimals
float	4 bytes	Stores fractional numbers, containing one or more decimals. Sufficient for storing 6-7 decimal digits
double	8 bytes	Stores fractional numbers, containing one or more decimals. Sufficient for storing 15 decimal digits

You will learn more about the individual data types in the next chapters.