In Java, primitive data types are the most basic building blocks of data. They store simple values directly in memory and are not objects.
Java provides 8 primitive data types, categorized into:
- Numeric Types
- Character Type
- Boolean Type
Let’s explore each one separately
1. byte
The byte data type is used to store small integer values. It saves memory in large arrays.
Size: 1 byte (8 bits)
Range: -128 to 127
Example:
public class ByteExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
byte age = 25;
System.out.println("Age: " + age);
}
}
2. short
The short data type is larger than byte but smaller than int.
Size: 2 bytes
Range: -32,768 to 32,767
Example:
public class ShortExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
short temperature = 15000;
System.out.println("Temperature: " + temperature);
}
}
3. int
The int data type is the most commonly used type for storing integers.
Size: 4 bytes
Range: -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
Example:
public class IntExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int salary = 50000;
System.out.println("Salary: " + salary);
}
}
4. long
The long data type is used for very large integer values.
Size: 8 bytes
Range: Very large values
- Must use L at the end
Example:
public class LongExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
long population = 9876543210L;
System.out.println("Population: " + population);
}
}
5. float
The float data type is used for decimal numbers (single precision).
Size: 4 bytes
- Must use f at the end
Example:
public class FloatExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
float price = 99.99f;
System.out.println("Price: " + price);
}
}
6. double
The double data type is used for decimal numbers with higher precision.
Size: 8 bytes
- Default type for decimal values
Example:
public class DoubleExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
double pi = 3.1415926535;
System.out.println("Value of Pi: " + pi);
}
}
7. char
The char data type is used to store a single character.
Size: 2 bytes
Uses Unicode values
Example:
public class CharExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
char grade = 'A';
System.out.println("Grade: " + grade);
}
}
8. boolean
The boolean data type stores only two values: true or false.
Size: 1 bit (logical)
Example:
public class BooleanExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
boolean isJavaFun = true;
System.out.println("Is Java Fun? " + isJavaFun);
}
}