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---
# Fundamental Types  (C++)
Fundamental types in C++ are divided into three categories: integral, floating point, and void. Integral types are capable of handling whole numbers. Floating point types are capable of specifying values that may have fractional parts.  
  
 The [void](../cpp/void-cpp.md) type describes an empty set of values. No variable of type `void` can be specified — it is used primarily to declare functions that return no values or to declare generic pointers to untyped or arbitrarily typed data. Any expression can be explicitly converted or cast to type `void`. However, such expressions are restricted to the following uses:  
  
-   An expression statement. (See [Expressions](../cpp/expressions-cpp.md), for more information.)  
  
-   The left operand of the comma operator. (See [Comma Operator](../cpp/comma-operator.md) for more information.)  
  
-   The second or third operand of the conditional operator (`? :`). (See [Expressions with the Conditional Operator](../cpp/conditional-operator-q.md) for more information.)  
  
 The following table explains the restrictions on type sizes. These restrictions are independent of the Microsoft implementation.  
  
### Fundamental Types of the C++ Language  
  
|Category|Type|Contents|  
|--------------|----------|--------------|  
|Integral|`char`|Type `char` is an integral type that usually contains members of the basic execution character set — By default, this is ASCII in Microsoft C++.<br /><br /> The C++ compiler treats variables of type `char`, `signed` `char`, and `unsigned` `char` as having different types. Variables of type `char` are promoted to `int` as if they are type `signed` `char` by default, unless the /J compilation option is used. In this case they are treated as type `unsigned` `char` and are promoted to `int` without sign extension.|  
||`bool`|Type `bool` is an integral type that can have one of the two values `true` or `false`. Its size is unspecified.|  
||`short`|Type `short` `int` (or simply `short`) is an integral type that is larger than or equal to the size of type `char`, and shorter than or equal to the size of type `int`.<br /><br /> Objects of type `short` can be declared as `signed` `short` or `unsigned short`. `Signed short` is a synonym for `short`.|  
||`int`|Type `int` is an integral type that is larger than or equal to the size of type `short` `int`, and shorter than or equal to the size of type `long`.<br /><br /> Objects of type `int` can be declared as `signed` `int` or `unsigned` `int`. `Signed` `int` is a synonym for `int`.|  
||`__int8`, `__int16`, `__int32`, `__int64`|Sized integer `__int n`, where `n` is the size, in bits, of the integer variable. `__int8`, `__int16`, `__int32` and `__int64` are Microsoft-specific keywords. Not all types are available on all architectures. `(__int128` is not supported.)|  
||`long`|Type `long` (or `long` `int`) is an integral type that is larger than or equal to the size of type `int`.<br /><br /> Objects of type `long` can be declared as `signed` `long` or `unsigned` `long`. `Signed` `long` is a synonym for `long`.|  
||`long` `long`|Larger than an unsigned `long`.<br /><br /> Objects of type `long long` can be declared as `signed` `long long` or `unsigned` `long long`. `Signed` `long long` is a synonym for `long long`.|  
||`wchar_t`, `__wchar_t`|A variable of type `wchar_t` designates a wide-character or multibyte character type. By default, `wchar_t` is a native type, but you can use [/Zc:wchar_t-](../build/reference/zc-wchar-t-wchar-t-is-native-type.md) to make `wchar_t` a typedef for `unsigned short`. The `__wchar_t` type is a Microsoft-specific synonym for the native `wchar_t` type.<br /><br /> Use the L prefix before a character or string literal to designate the wide-character type.|  
|Floating point|`float`|Type `float` is the smallest floating point type.|  
||`double`|Type `double` is a floating point type that is larger than or equal to type `float`, but shorter than or equal to the size of type `long` `double`.<br /><br /> Microsoft specific: The representation of `long double` and `double` is identical. However, `long double` and `double` are separate types.|  
||`long double`|Type `long` `double` is a floating point type that is larger than or equal to type `double`.|  
  
 **Microsoft Specific**  
  
 The following table lists the amount of storage required for fundamental types in Microsoft C++.  
  
### Sizes of Fundamental Types  
  
|Type|Size|  
|----------|----------|  
|`bool`, `char`, `unsigned char`, `signed char`, `__int8`|1 byte|  
|`__int16`, `short`, `unsigned short`, `wchar_t`, `__wchar_t`|2 bytes|  
|`float`, `__int32`, `int`, `unsigned int`, `long`, `unsigned long`|4 bytes|  
|`double`, `__int64`, `long double`, `long long`|8 bytes|  
  
 **END Microsoft Specific**  
  
 See [Data Type Ranges](../cpp/data-type-ranges.md) for a summary of the range of values of each type.  
  
 For more information about type conversion, see [Standard Conversions](../cpp/standard-conversions.md).  
  
## See Also  
 [Data Type Ranges](../cpp/data-type-ranges.md)