All data type modifiers in C++

Data type modifiers allow you to modify the properties of the basic data types.

1. Signed: The ‘signed’ modifier is used with integer types to indicate that the type can hold both positive and negative values. It is the default for ‘int’ and ‘long’ types. For example, ‘signed int’ explicitly indicates a signed integer.

2. Unsigned: The ‘unsigned’ modifier is used with integer types to indicate that the type can only hold non-negative values. It is used to increase the positive range of the variable at the expense of not being able to represent negative values. For example, ‘unsigned int’ represents an unsigned integer.

3. Short: The ‘short’ modifier is used with integer types to indicate that the type has a smaller range and uses less memory compared to the default size. It is typically used when memory optimization is a concern. For example, ‘short int’ represents a short integer.

4. Long: The ‘long’ modifier is used with integer types to indicate that the type has a larger range and uses more memory compared to the default size. It is used when larger values need to be stored. For example, ‘long int’ represents a long integer.

5. Long Long: The ‘long long’ modifier is used with integer types to indicate that the type has an even larger range than ‘long’. It is typically used when a very large range is required. For example, ‘long long int’ represents a long long integer.

6. Float: The ‘float’ modifier is used with floating-point types to indicate a single-precision floating-point number. It has a smaller range and less precision compared to ‘double’. It is typically used when memory optimization is important and precision requirements are not very high.

7. Double: The ‘double’ modifier is used with floating-point types to indicate a double-precision floating-point number. It has a larger range and higher precision compared to ‘float’. It is commonly used for general-purpose floating-point computations.

Size and when to use what?

- Use ‘signed’ when you want to explicitly indicate that a variable can hold both positive and negative values. It is often unnecessary to use this modifier since the signed property is the default for most integer types.

- Use ‘unsigned’ when you want to indicate that a variable can only hold non-negative values. This modifier can be useful when you need to represent numbers that are always positive or when you want to extend the positive range of the variable.

- Use ‘short’ when you need to store integer values in a smaller memory footprint. It can be useful for memory optimization and when the range of values to be stored is within the smaller range supported by ‘short’.

- Use ‘long’ when you need to store integer values that require a larger range. It can be useful for handling larger numbers than the default ‘int’ type allows.

- Use ‘long long’ when you need to store very large integers that are beyond the range of ‘long’. It provides an even larger range than ‘long’ and is useful for working with extremely large numbers.

- Use ‘float’ when you require single-precision floating-point numbers and memory optimization is important. It provides a smaller memory footprint compared to ‘double’ but with lower precision.

- Use ‘double’ for general-purpose floating-point computations when higher precision is needed. It provides double-precision floating-point numbers with a larger range and higher precision compared to ‘float’.