The correct answer is B. INTEGER. According to CompTIA DataSys+ objectives, choosing the appropriate data type is a fundamental database design decision that directly affects storage efficiency, performance, and data integrity. Product quantities represent whole numbers, such as the count of items in inventory, units sold, or stock remaining. Because these values do not require decimal precision, an integer-based data type is the most appropriate and storage-efficient choice.
An INTEGER data type is specifically designed to store whole numbers and consumes significantly less storage than floating-point or double-precision data types. DataSys+ emphasizes that database administrators should always select the smallest data type that accurately represents the data, as this reduces disk usage, improves cache efficiency, and enhances query performance—especially in large tables with millions of rows.
Option A, DOUBLE, and option D, FLOAT, are floating-point data types intended for values that require decimal precision, such as scientific measurements or financial calculations involving fractions. These data types consume more storage and can introduce rounding errors, making them unsuitable for storing simple quantity counts. Using floating-point types for inventory quantities would be inefficient and unnecessary.
Option C, COUNT, is not a data type at all. COUNT is an aggregate SQL function used in queries to calculate the number of rows or non-null values in a result set. It cannot be used to define a column in a table schema.
CompTIA DataSys+ highlights that efficient schema design includes proper data typing to minimize resource consumption while maintaining accuracy. By using INTEGER for product quantities, administrators ensure optimal storage utilization, faster indexing, and predictable arithmetic operations.
Therefore, to store product quantities accurately while consuming the minimal amount of storage, INTEGER is the best and most appropriate choice, making option B the correct and fully verified answer.
