In computer programming, a classification that specifies what kind of data a variable can hold, such as integers, strings, or booleans. It determines the operations that can be performed on the data.
Compound of 'data' (from Latin 'datum' meaning 'something given') and 'type' (from Greek 'typos' meaning 'impression, model'). The concept emerged with early programming languages in the 1950s as computers needed ways to categorize different kinds of information.
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