Which of the following stores only one type of data in a specific location and must contain some value, meaning it cannot be null?
expression
operator
primitive data structure
float
primitive data structure
The correct answer is a primitive data structure. A primitive data structure stores only one type of data in a specific location and must contain a value, meaning it cannot be null. Examples of primitive data structures include integers, floating-point numbers (like floats), characters, booleans, and others.
The option that fits the description of storing only one type of data in a specific location and must contain some value, meaning it cannot be null, is a primitive data structure.
To understand why this is the correct answer, let's go through the other options:
- Expression: An expression is a combination of values, operators, and function calls which can be evaluated to produce a result. It does not store data in a specific location, but rather represents a computation. So, this option does not fit the description.
- Operator: An operator is a symbol or function that performs a specific operation on one or more operands. It is used to manipulate data or perform calculations. Operators do not store data themselves, but rather act on the data. So, this option is not the correct answer.
- Float: Float is a data type that represents floating-point numbers (numbers with a decimal point). While a float variable can be null (if it is defined as a reference type and not initialized), it is not limited to storing only one type of data as float variables can have different values representing various decimal numbers. Therefore, this option does not meet the given criteria.
Therefore, the correct answer is a primitive data structure. Primitive data structures, such as integers, characters, booleans, and others, store a single value of a specific type in a fixed memory location and must have a value assigned to them. They cannot be null and must contain a valid value.