What does the 'char' data type represent in Java?

The 'char' data type in Java represents a single character. It is designed to store a single 16-bit Unicode character, which allows it to accommodate a wide range of characters from different languages and symbol sets. This uniqueness of the 'char' data type makes it suitable for situations where you need to manipulate individual characters, such as iterating through a string, performing comparisons, or processing textual data at a character level.

The understanding of 'char' is essential for handling textual data, as it allows for efficient storage and manipulation of individual characters, as opposed to larger constructs such as strings, which consist of sequences of characters. Hence, recognizing that 'char' specifically refers to a single character is crucial for programming in Java, especially when dealing with operations that require character manipulation or validation.