A Level Computer Science OCR Practice Exam

What does a string data type consist of?

1. A single character

2. Any data type that is less than a character

3. A sequence of characters and/or symbols

4. A logical statement

The correct answer is: A sequence of characters and/or symbols

The string data type is defined as a sequence of characters and/or symbols, which aligns perfectly with your choice. This definition encompasses any combination of letters, numbers, punctuation, and even whitespace as part of the string. Strings are fundamental in programming and are used to represent text-based information, allowing developers to manipulate and display textual data effectively. In contrast, the other options do not accurately capture the essence of the string data type. A single character would signify a character type, which is fundamentally different from a string, as strings can consist of one or more characters. The idea of "any data type that is less than a character" is ambiguous and does not exist within the standard data type classifications. Lastly, a logical statement, which typically represents Boolean values (true or false), does not belong to the string category but rather to the Boolean data type. Thus, the correct understanding of a string involving a sequence of characters clearly justifies your choice.