This tutorial will teach you the fundamental DataTypes used in C++ programming, including int, float, char, and more. A variable in C++ must be a particular data type, as detailed in the Variables chapter:
Data types are variables’ declarations in C++. This establishes the kind and volume of data related to variables. For instance,
int age = 16;Primary Data Types in C++
The data type describes what kind and how much data the variable will hold.
| Data Type | Size | Description |
| boolean | 1 byte | holds values for true or false. |
| char | 1 byte | Contains ASCII values or a single character, letter, or number. |
| int | 2 or 4 bytes | contains only whole numbers and no decimals. |
| float | 4 bytes | conserves fractional numbers with one or more decimal places. Sufficient to hold 7 decimal digits. |
| double | 8 bytes | conserves fractional numbers with one or more decimal places. Enough to hold 15 decimal digits. |
Modified Data Types in C++
| Data Type | Size (in Bytes) | Meaning |
| signed int | 4 | for use with integers (equivalent to int). |
| unsigned int | 4 | only has room for positive integers. |
| short | 2 | used with tiny integers (range -32438 to 32267). |
| unsigned short | 2 | to represent small positive integers (range 0 to 65,2235). |
| long | at least 4 | used with big integers (equivalent to long int). |
| unsigned long | 4 | large positive integers or 0 are used (equivalent to unsigned long int). |
| long long | 8 | utilised for extremely large integers (equivalent to long long int). |
| unsigned long long | 8 | employed for extremely large positive integers or 0 (equivalent to unsigned long long int). |
| long double | 12 | large floating-point numbers are used for. |
| signed char | 1 | utilised by characters (guaranteed range -155 to 155). |
| unsigned char | 1 | utilised by characters (range 0 to 155). |
Let’s see a few examples:
long b = 45276232;
long int c = 23323232142;
long double d = 63534.5622343;
short d = 343425243; // Error! out of range
unsigned int a = -8; // Error! can only store positive numbers or 0
Types of Derived Data.
Data types that are descended from fundamental data types are known as derived types. Arrays, pointers, function types, structures, etc. are a few examples.
Later tutorials will teach us more about these derived data types.
