Click here

data type

In programming, classification of a particular type of information. It is easy for humans to distinguish between different types of data. We can usually tell at a glance whether a number is a percentage, a time, or an amount of money. We do this through special symbols -- %, :, and $ -- that indicate the data's type. Similarly, a computer uses special internal codes to keep track of the different types of data it processes.

Most programming languages require the programmer to declare the data type of every data object, and most database systems require the user to specify the type of each data field. The available data types vary from one programming language to another, and from one database application to another, but the following usually exist in one form or another:

  • integer : In more common parlance, whole number; a number that has no fractional part.
  • floating-point : A number with a decimal point. For example, 3 is an integer, but 3.5 is a floating-point number.
  • character (text ): Readable text


  • Top Terms
    • 1

      enterprise application

      An enterprise application is the term used to describe applications -- or software -- that a business would use to assist the organization in...

      Read more »

    • 2

      open source

      Generically, open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its...

      Read more »

    • Click Here!

    Connect with Webopedia

    Did You Know? Archive »

    • Quick Reference Archive »