Data Type Implementation

The Visual Basic data types can be classified according to whether a variable of a particular type stores its own data or a pointer to the data. If it stores its own data it is a value type; if it holds a pointer to data elsewhere in memory it is a reference type. This classification affects the way a data type is implemented.

In This Section

• Value Types and Reference Types
  Explains the difference between value and reference types, and which data types are which.

• Data Types Are .NET Framework Types
  Describes how Visual Basic data types are implemented in the underlying .NET Framework.

Related Sections

• Data Types in Visual Basic
  Introduces the Visual Basic data types and describes how to use them.

• Data Type Summary (Visual Basic)
  Lists the elementary data types supplied by Visual Basic.