The range of a data type refers to the values that can be stored in that particular data type. It defines the minimum and maximum values that can be assigned to variables of that data type. Understanding the range of different data types is important for ensuring that your variables can store the appropriate values and for avoiding unexpected behavior in your code.
Numeric Data Types
Let’s start by looking at the range of numeric data types:
Integer Data Types
- Byte: The byte data type represents an 8-bit integer and has a range from -128 to 127.
- Short: The short data type represents a 16-bit integer and has a range from -32,768 to 32,767.
- Int: The int data type represents a 32-bit integer and has a range from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647.
- Long: The long data type represents a 64-bit integer and has a range from -9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807.
Floating-Point Data Types
- Float: The float data type represents single-precision floating-point numbers and has a range from approximately -3.4E+38 to +3.4E+38 with up to 7 decimal digits of precision.
- Double: The double data type represents double-precision floating-point numbers and has a range from approximately -1.7E+308 to +1.7E+308 with up to 15 decimal digits of precision.
Character Data Type
The character data type represents a single character and has a range from 0 to 65,535. This range covers the Unicode characters supported by most programming languages.
Boolean Data Type
The boolean data type represents a boolean value, which can be either true or false. It doesn’t have a specific range since it can only hold two possible values.
Conclusion
Understanding the range of different data types is essential for writing robust and error-free code. By knowing the range of each data type, you can ensure that your variables can store the appropriate values without causing unexpected behavior or errors in your program.