Comprehensive Guide to C++ Data Types: Sizes and Ranges with Examples

 

Let's delve into more details about each data type, including their size and range of values.

1. 1. Integers:

• int: Usually 4 bytes (32 bits). Range is approximately -2.1 billion to +2.1 billion.
• unsigned int: Also 4 bytes. Range is 0 to about 4.2 billion.
• short int: Typically 2 bytes. Range is approximately -32,768 to +32,767.
• unsigned short int: 2 bytes. Range is 0 to 65,535.
• long int: Typically 4 bytes. Range is about -2.1 billion to +2.1 billion.
• unsigned long int: 4 bytes. Range is 0 to about 4.2 billion.
• long long int: Usually 8 bytes (64 bits). Range is approximately -9.2 quintillion to +9.2 quintillion.
• unsigned long long int: 8 bytes. Range is 0 to about 18.4 quintillion.

1. 2. Floating-Point Numbers:

• float: Typically 4 bytes. Range is approximately ±1.18 x 10^-38 to ±3.4 x 10^38.
• double: Usually 8 bytes. Range is approximately ±2.23 x 10^-308 to ±1.79 x 10^308.
• long double: Size varies (usually 8 or 16 bytes). Range is similar to double but with extended precision.

1. 3. Characters:

• char: Usually 1 byte. Represents a single character (ASCII value or Unicode code point).

1. 4. Boolean:

• bool: Usually 1 byte. Represents either true or false.

1. 5. Strings:

• std::string: The size depends on the length of the string. Strings can hold sequences of characters.

1. 6. Arrays:

   The size of an array depends on the number of elements multiplied by the size of each element's data type.

2. 7. Pointers:

• Size depends on the architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). Holds memory addresses.
• Range of values: Any valid memory address.

1. 8. Enums:

• Enums are usually implemented as int by default. They can hold values defined in the enumeration.

1. 9. Structures:

• Size depends on the sum of the sizes of its members.
• Range of values: Dependent on the types of its members.

1. 10. Classes:

• Size depends on the size of its members and potential padding.
• Range of values: Class instances store data and can have methods, so their ranges depend on how they're designed.

It's important to note that the sizes and ranges mentioned above might vary slightly based on the compiler, platform, and system architecture. Always consider these factors when working with different data types to ensure portability and accurate representation of data.