Java-2

Data types in Java define the type of data a variable can store. They help Java allocate memory efficiently and perform operations correctly.

What is a Data Type?

A data type specifies:

What kind of value a variable can hold
How much memory is required
What operations can be performed on the value

Types of Data Types in Java

Primitive Data Types
Non-Primitive (Reference) Data Types

Primitive Data Types

Java provides 8 primitive data types.

Data Type	Size	Description	Example
byte	1 byte	Small integer	byte age = 20;
short	2 bytes	Short integer	short num = 1000;
int	4 bytes	Integer value	int marks = 90;
long	8 bytes	Large integer	long population = 8000000L;
float	4 bytes	Decimal value	float price = 99.99f;
double	8 bytes	Large decimal value	double salary = 50000.50;
char	2 bytes	Single character	char grade = 'A';
boolean	1 bit	True or False	boolean active = true;

Non-Primitive Data Types

Non-primitive data types store references to objects.

Examples:

String
Arrays
Classes
Interfaces
Collections

Primitive vs Non-Primitive Data Types

Feature	Primitive	Non-Primitive
Stores	Actual value	Reference address
Size	Fixed	Variable
Created by Java	Yes	User-defined or Java classes
Can call methods	No	Yes
Example	int, double	String, Array