Primitive types
- Java course
- Beginner
- Lesson 13/116
- 4 min
Learn primitives byte, short, int, long, float, double, char, boolean.
What are primitive types?
Java has eight primitive types. They are the most basic data types and store values directly in memory.
- Integer:
byte(8 bit),short(16 bit),int(32 bit),long(64 bit) - Decimal:
float(32 bit),double(64 bit) - Character:
char(16 bit Unicode) - Logical:
boolean(true/false)
The most common are int and double. long is for very large numbers, char for single characters.
char holds a single character
char holds a single Unicode character. It is written in single quotes:
char letter = 'A';
char digit = '7';
char sign = '$';A char is actually a 16-bit number, so it can take part in arithmetic. 'A' + 1 yields the numeric value of 'B'.
Double quotes "A" make a String, single quotes 'A' make a char. The distinction matters.
Practice Define primitives and print them
Write a Main class with a main method. Assign 100 to int code and 'A' to char initial. Print both with println.
Sample solution
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int code = 100;
char initial = 'A';
System.out.println(code);
System.out.println(initial);
}
}Expected output
100 A
Questions and answers
Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.
1 Which is a primitive type?
- String
- char Correct answer
- Scanner
- Main
Explanation: char is a primitive; String is a reference type.
2 Assign a value to a long variable
long population = ____;long population = 8000000000L;Explanation: A long literal ends with the L suffix.
3 Match the primitive types
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
byte |
8 bit |
short |
16 bit |
int |
32 bit |
long |
64 bit |