Data Types (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Computer Science)
Revision Note
Written by: Robert Hampton
Reviewed by: James Woodhouse
Data Types
What is a data type?
A data type is a classification of data into groups according to the kind of data they represent
Computers use different data types to represent different types of data in a program
The basic data types include:
Data type | Used for | Pseudocode | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
Integer | Whole numbers | INTEGER | 10, -5, 0 |
Real | Numbers with a fractional part (decimal) | REAL | 3.14, -2.5, 0.0 |
Character | Single character | CHAR | 'a', 'B', '6', '£' |
String | Sequence of characters | STRING | "Hello world", "ABC", "@#!%" |
Boolean | True or false values | BOOLEAN | True, False |
It is important to choose the correct data type for a given situation to ensure accuracy and efficiency in the program
Data types can be changed within a program, this is called casting
Programming data types
Data type | Pseudocode | Python |
|---|---|---|
Integer |
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Real |
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Character |
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String |
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Boolean |
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Worked Example
Name and describe the most appropriate programming data type for each of the examples of data given. Each data type must be different
[6]
Data: 83
Data: [email protected]
Data: True
Answers
Data type name: Integer [1]
Data type description: The number is a whole number [1]Data type name: String [1]
Data type description: It is a group of characters [1]Data type name: Boolean [1]
Data type description: The value is True (or could be False) [1]
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