C Extended Types
More Data Types
Besides the basic types (int,
float, double,
char), C also gives you
extended keywords (short,
long, unsigned)
to control how large the number is, or whether it can be negative:
| Type | Size* | Range (commonly) | Format Specifier |
|---|---|---|---|
short int |
2 bytes | -32,768 to 32,767 | %hd |
unsigned int |
2 or 4 bytes | 0 to 65,535 (2 bytes) 0 to 4,294,967,295 (4 bytes) |
%u |
long int |
4 or 8 bytes | -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647 (4 bytes) -9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 (8 bytes) |
%ld |
long long int |
8 bytes | -9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 | %lld |
unsigned long int |
4 or 8 bytes | 0 to 4,294,967,295 (4 bytes) 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 (8 bytes) |
%lu |
unsigned long long int |
8 bytes | 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 | %llu |
long double |
8, 12, or 16 bytes | Implementation-dependent, but more precision than double |
%Lf |
unsigned means the type can only store non-negative values (0 and up).
Note: The size of these types can differ between systems (for example, 2 or 4 bytes, or 4 or 8 bytes), depending on whether the computer is older or newer, 32-bit or 64-bit, and which compiler is used.
Here is an example of how you can create and print these extended types:
Example
int normalInt = 1000; // standard int
double normalDouble = 3.14; // standard double
short int small = -100; // smaller int
unsigned int count = 25; // only positive int
long int big = 1234567890; // larger int
long long int veryBig = 9223372036854775807; // very large int
unsigned long long int huge = 18446744073709551615U; // very large, only positive
long double precise = 3.141592653589793238L; // extended precision
printf("Normal int: %d\n", normalInt);
printf("Normal double: %lf\n", normalDouble);
printf("Small: %hd\n", small);
printf("Count: %u\n", count);
printf("Big: %ld\n", big);
printf("Very Big: %lld\n", veryBig);
printf("Huge: %llu\n", huge);
printf("Precise: %Lf\n", precise);
Note: These extended types are mostly used when you need very specific control over memory usage or number ranges.
Note: For everyday programming, int, float, double, and char are usually enough.
Check Size
*The exact sizes depend on your system and compiler. Remember that you can check them with the sizeof operator:
Example
printf("Size of int: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(int));
printf("Size of double: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(double));
printf("Size of short int: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(short int));
printf("Size of unsigned int: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(unsigned int));
printf("Size of long int: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(long int));
printf("Size of long long int: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(long long int));
printf("Size of unsigned long long int: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(unsigned long long int));
printf("Size of long double: %zu bytes\n", sizeof(long double));
Tip: When you really need exact control over the size of your numbers, you can use the fixed-width types, which you will learn about later.
This page is just to show you that C has other extended types, but for now we will keep focusing on the basic types (int, float, double, char) in this tutorial.
