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2.0 State data types

This document explains the various data types in C#, including integers, floating-point numbers, booleans, characters, and strings. It emphasizes the importance of using the correct data type for variables to enhance code maintainability and efficiency. The document provides examples for each data type and highlights the differences in precision between float and double types.

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Elineus Peter
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6 views

2.0 State data types

This document explains the various data types in C#, including integers, floating-point numbers, booleans, characters, and strings. It emphasizes the importance of using the correct data type for variables to enhance code maintainability and efficiency. The document provides examples for each data type and highlights the differences in precision between float and double types.

Uploaded by

Elineus Peter
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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)


double myDoubleNum = 5.99D; // Floating point number
char myLetter = 'D'; // Character
bool myBool = true; // Boolean
string myText = "Hello"; // String

A data type specifies the size and type of variable values.

It is important to use the correct data type for the corresponding


variable; to avoid errors, to save time and memory, but it will also
make your code more maintainable and readable. The most
common data types are:

Number types are divided into two groups:

Integer types store whole numbers, positive or negative (such


as 123 or -456), without decimals. Valid types are 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. Valid types are float and double.

Even though there are many numeric types in C#, the most used for
numbers are int (for whole numbers) and double (for floating point
numbers). However, we will describe them all as you continue to
read.

Integer Types

Int
The int data type can store whole numbers from -2147483648 to
2147483647. In general, and in our tutorial, the int data type is the
preferred data type when we create variables with a numeric value.

Example
int age = 19;
Console.WriteLine(myNum);

Long
The long data type can store whole numbers from -
9223372036854775808 to 9223372036854775807. This is used
when int is not large enough to store the value. Note that you
should end the value with an "L":

Example
long myNum = 15000000000L;
Console.WriteLine(myNum);

Floating Point Types

You should use a floating-point type whenever you need a number


with a decimal, such as 9.99 or 3.14515.

The float and double data types can store fractional numbers. Note
that you should end the value with an "F" for floats and "D" for
doubles:

Float Example
float weight = 5.75F;
Console.WriteLine(myNum);

Double Example
double height = 19.99D;
Console.WriteLine(myNum);

The precision of a floating-point value indicates how many digits the


value can have after the decimal point. The precision of float is only
six or seven decimal digits, while double variables have a precision
of about 15 digits. Therefore, it is safer to use double for most
calculations.

Scientific Numbers
A floating-point number can also be a scientific number with an "e"
to indicate the power of 10:

Example
float f1 = 35e3F;
double d1 = 12E4D;
Console.WriteLine(f1);
Console.WriteLine(d1);

Booleans
A boolean data type is declared with the bool keyword and can only
take the values true or false:

Example
bool isCSharpFun = true;
bool isFishTasty = false;
Console.WriteLine(isCSharpFun); // Outputs True
Console.WriteLine(isFishTasty); // Outputs False

Boolean values are mostly used for conditional testing, which you
will learn more about in a later chapter.

Characters
The char data type is used to store a single character. The character
must be surrounded by single quotes, like 'A' or 'c':

Example
char myGrade = 'B';
Console.WriteLine(myGrade);

Strings
The string data type is used to store a sequence of characters (text).
String values must be surrounded by double quotes:

Example
string greeting = "Hello World";
Console.WriteLine(greeting);

C# Example:

myNum = 9;
myDoubleNum = 8.99;
myLetter = 'A';
myBoolean = false;
myText = "Hello World";

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