Programming Basics- Data Types

Programming Basics- Data Types

Data Types in Programming

Introduction

In programming, data types are used to determine the kind of value a variable can have.
Understanding different data types is fundamental to being able to successfully create and manipulate variables in a program.

Integer

Integer, often shortened to int, refers to a number that is not a fraction; it is a whole number.
This data type is used when you want to store whole numbers, either positive or negative.
In Python, there is no limit to the size of an integer.

Float

Float refers to a number that is not a whole number; it contains decimal points.
This data type is used when you need values of varying precision or numbers with decimal places.

Boolean

A boolean has two possible values: True or False.
This simple binary option is incredibly useful when it comes to decision-making in programs.

String

String often refers to a sequence of characters.
They are usually used to represent words or text in a program.
A string in Python is enclosed either by single quotation marks, or double quotation marks.

Lists and Arrays

Lists and arrays are similar data types that store a series of values.
Unlike the single-value data types of Integer, Float, Boolean, and String, lists and arrays are capable of storing multiple values at once.
The major difference between lists and arrays is that lists can store different data types, while arrays house multiple values of the same data type.

Constants

A constant is a type of variable whose value cannot be changed after it’s defined.
It’s typically used to set the value of something that needs to remain constant throughout the program.

Variables

Variables are containers for storing data values. A variable is initialised with a data type, and any value that is stored in it must be compatible with its initialised type.
In a program, variables are defined with a unique name, which is used to refer back to the stored value without divulging the value itself.