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Question: What do you mean by Data Types? Explain different
types of data types available in C.
Answer:-
Data Types
Data types are fundamental classifications that tell us about the kind of data that can be stored and manipulated within a program. In simpler terms, a data type defines the nature of a variable and the operations that can be performed on it. Data types are crucial for declaring variables and ensuring that the program handles different kinds of information correctly.
Types of Data Types in C
In the C programming language, data types are broadly categorized into two main types:
1. Primary Data Types
2. Secondary Data Types
1). Primary Data Types
These are also known as fundamental or built-in data types. They are the basic data types that are directly supported by the C language.
1) Int :- Int is used to declare or specify the integer values like 0, 1, 2, 59 etc. Its storage size is 2 bytes (for 16-bit compiler) or 4 bytes (for 32/64-bit compiler). Its range is in between -32,768 to 32,767 (for 16-bit) or -2,147,483,648 to 2, 147,483,647 (for 32-bit). It is represented by (%d) characters.
Ex: int x = 10;
2) Float :- Float is used to declare float or decimal values like 1.1, 1.2, 5. etc. It is represented by (%f). Its storage size is 4 bytes and its range lies in between 1.2E-38 to 3.4E+38.
Ex: float x = 10.
3) Char :- Char is used for declaring single character values like 'a', 'b', 'c' etc. It is represented by (%c). Its memory storage size is 1 byte and its range lies between -128 to 127 or 0 to 255.
Ex: char x = 'a';
4) Double:- Double is used to storage higher level values or double values of int, float etc.
1). String: - Represents a sequence of characters. In C, strings are typically implemented as arrays of characters terminated by a null character (\0).
2). Array: - A collection of elements of the same data type stored in contiguous memory locations. Arrays have a fixed size.
3). Structure: - A user-defined data type that can hold elements of different data types under a single name. Structures allow you to group related data together.
4). Union: - Similar to structures, but in a union, all members share the same memory location. This means that only one member of a union can hold a value at any given time.
5). Pointer: - A variable that stores the memory address of another variable. Pointers are essential for dynamic memory allocation and manipulating data indirectly.
6). Function: - Although sometimes discussed in the context of data types (especially function pointers), functions are primarily blocks of code designed to perform specific tasks. Function pointers, however, are variables that store the memory address of a function.
Diagram
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