What is data type?
In computing, a data type refers to the data storage format that defines the distinct characteristics of that data (eg integer, string, logical operators, etc) and its range of values. Most programming languages and databases support a limited number of distinct data types.
Common data types include integers, characters, strings, floating-point numbers and arrays. More specific data types include varchar (variable character formats), Boolean values, dates and timestamps.
Data types (data storage) are used by database applications, with the database field requiring a distinct data type to be used. Data types across different records must be consistent in order to perform searching, sorting, and processing of that data.