Why do we use `f` for float data types, but not for bytes and short ones?
If we are using a datatype float
in Java, we have to add a f
floating point literal to the end, since Java assumes it is a datatype double
and gives an error, why not do the same for short
and byte
, since both have lower ranges than int
.
You cannot have this thing with byte
, for example, because you byte
can always handle the same thing . It is always a byte. But real numbers can only be represented as approximations. The difference between double
and float
is that it double
uses 64 bits and float
32. Ie The float is less important.
This is similar to int
, and long
for integers. The default type for integers is int
. Likewise, the default type for real numbers is double
.
Now if you want to use precision float
. You need to tell the compiler somehow. That is why it exists f
. To tell the compiler how to handle the value.
Basically, when you do this float x = 0.1f
, you are implicitly casting the literal 0.1
to float.
This statement isfloat x = (float) 0.1
Now try something:
float x = 0.1f;
double y = 0.1;
System.out.println(x == y)
will provide you false
. What for? Let's see the first 20 digits after the decimal point:
0.1f --> 1000000014901161200
0.1 --> 1000000000000000055
Hope this helps.