What is the primary role of data types in programming?

The primary role of data types in programming is to determine how data can be stored and processed. Each data type defines a set of values and the operations that can be performed on those values. For instance, a numeric data type allows arithmetic operations, while a string data type permits text manipulation. Understanding data types is crucial for memory management and performance optimization since different types require different amounts of storage.

In programming languages, data types help the compiler or interpreter understand the nature of the data being handled, ensuring type safety, which prevents type errors during execution. By enforcing these distinctions, programmers can create more robust and efficient code, as well as avoid unintended behavior in their applications.