ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Data type

Imagine that you have a toy box and all the toys inside have labels on them. These labels tell you what kind of toy it is and what it does. For example, a doll might have a label that says "doll" and it is used for pretend play.

In the same way, data types are like labels that help computers understand what kind of information they are working with. Data types tell the computer how to store and process the information.

Just like you can't use a Barbie doll to play a game of catch with a ball, computers can't process certain types of data with certain types of operations. For example, you can't add a word to a number, just like you can't add a doll to a toy car.

There are different types of data, or labels, that computers use to organize information. Some examples of data types are numbers (used for calculations), text (used for words and sentences), and boolean (used for true/false statements).

By using the correct data type, computers can accurately understand and process information, just like you can accurately play with your toys by knowing what they are and what they can do.