Which field type would you use to store latitude and longitude coordinates?

When storing latitude and longitude coordinates, the most appropriate field type to use is Double. This is because Double is a data type that can represent decimal numbers with a high level of precision, which is essential for geographic coordinates.

Latitude and longitude are expressed in decimal degrees and often require precision to several decimal places, especially for applications that need accurate positioning (e.g., mapping, navigation). The Double data type allows for this precision as it can handle larger ranges and more complex values than other data types.

For instance, coordinates such as 37.7749 (latitude) and -122.4194 (longitude) need to be represented accurately, and the Double ensures that even small differences between coordinates are maintained. Using an Integer would not be feasible since it can only store whole numbers and cannot represent decimal values. A Float may also be limited in precision compared to Double, particularly when many decimal places are needed. Strings could technically store coordinates, but they would not facilitate mathematical operations or spatial queries effectively.

In summary, selecting Double for latitude and longitude coordinates is ideal due to its precision and capability to handle the complexity of geographic data representation.