Arizona State University (ASU) CSE240 Introduction to Programming Languages Midterm Practice Exam

The correct choice includes modifiers that specifically change the representation or characteristics of primitive data types in C++. In C++, primitive data types such as integers and floating-point numbers can be modified using signed, unsigned, short, and long.

When using these modifiers, they allow for a more specific definition of the type. For instance, "signed" indicates that the variable can hold both positive and negative values, whereas "unsigned" allows the variable to hold only non-negative values, effectively doubling the positive range of values that can be stored. The "short" modifier specifies a smaller size of the integer type, which can help save memory, while "long" increases the size to accommodate larger values.

These modifiers are particularly important for managing the limitations and capabilities of primitive types in applications. In contrast, the other choices include modifiers that either do not apply to primitive types (such as access specifiers like public, private, and protected) or refer to types that are not valid in C++ (like integer, decimal, and character as modifiers). Thus, choice B is accurate as it specifically cites modifiers that are utilized for modifying primitive data types in C++.