Data Types in C++

February 15, 2023

How Data Types Work in C++

Here, on this page, we will discuss the different data types in C++. While writing code in any language we need variables to store different data and information.

data

Information stored while writing a code can be in different formats like –

  • Number/Integers/Decimals
  • Characters
  • Boolean
  • Characteristic Object etc.

What are data types?

Data types are used by variables to tell what kind of data it can store. Example – character/integer/decimal etc.

There are three types of data types in C++ –

  • Primary
  • Derived
  • User-Defined
Data Types in C++ New

C++ Introduction

History of C++

Structure of a C++ Program

Program to check armstrong number or not

Data Types Modifiers

  These are used in conjunction with primitive(built-in) data types to modify the length of data that a particular data type can hold these are –

  • Unsigned
  • Signed
  • Short
  • Long
Primitive Data Types (Built-in)
  • Boolean
  • Character
  • Integer
  • Floating point
  • Double floating point
  • Void
  • Wide character

Below we have given a list of all primitive data types and their usage –

[table id=550 /]

Below we have given data types and their sizes, limits and types with different modifiers.

[table id=551 /]

C++ Code for Sizes
The following code will give you the output of the size of each data type –
Run 
// C++ program to sizes of data types 
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
 
int main() 
{ 
    cout << "Size of char : " << sizeof(char) << " byte" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of int : " << sizeof(int) << " bytes" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of short int : " << sizeof(short int) << " bytes" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of long int : " << sizeof(long int) << " bytes" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of signed long int : " << sizeof(signed long int) << " bytes" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of unsigned long int : " << sizeof(unsigned long int) << " bytes" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of float : " << sizeof(float) << " bytes" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of double : " << sizeof(double) << " bytes" << endl; 
    cout << "Size of wchar_t : " << sizeof(wchar_t) << " bytes" << endl; 
    
    return 0; 
}
The output of the code depending on the default sizes of data types and modifiers in your compiler will be – 
Size of char : 1 byte
Size of int : 4 bytes
Size of short int : 2 bytes
Size of long int : 8 bytes
Size of signed long int : 8 bytes
Size of unsigned long int : 8 bytes
Size of float : 4 bytes
Size of double : 8 bytes
Size of wchar_t : 4 bytes

Understanding Each Datatype

We will look at all different data types in C++ :
Integer (int)
  • Uses to store integer values like : -200, 150, 6812 etc
  • Usual Range – it can store values from -2147483648 to 2147483647
  • Usual Size – 4 bytes(some older compilers may support 2 bytes)
int age = 25;
Float and Double

Float and double are used to store floating-point numbers (decimals and exponentials)

  • The size of float is 4 bytes
  • The size of the double is 8 bytes.
  • Double has two times the precision of float.
Datatype                               Range                            Macro
float                       1.17549e-38 to 3.40282e+38                  FLT_MIN 
float(negative)            -1.17549e-38 to -3.40282e+38                -FLT_MIN
double                      2.22507e-308 to  1.79769e+308               DBL_MIN
double(negative)           -2.22507e-308 to -1.79769e+308              -DBL_MIN

An example of initializing variables would be –

float val1 = 21.25;
double val2 = 1531.24595;
double val3 = 21.34E14    // 45E12 is equal to 21.34 * 10^14
double val4 = 1.23E-12    // 45E12 is equal to 1.23 * 10^-12
Char
  • Its size is 1 byte.
  • Characters in C++ are enclosed inside single quotes ' '.

For example –

char c = 'a';

char val = ‘5’; // 5 stored as ascii character rather than int

Bool
  • Has a size of 1 byte
  • Used to store true/false values
  • Also used in conditional operations

Example –

bool val = false;
wchar_t
  • Wide character wchar_t is similar to the char data type
  • However, its size is 2 bytes instead of 1
  • These are used to represent characters that need more memory than 1 byte due to a large number of unique characters

Example –

wchar_t test = L'א‎' // storing Hebrew character;
Void
  • Void is used with functions and pointers
  • They mean that they do not have any data type of value
  • We will learn more about it later

We cannot declare variables of the void type.

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