diff --git a/src/main/java/io/tiledb/java/api/Datatype.java b/src/main/java/io/tiledb/java/api/Datatype.java
index e7bb3b0b..fa7b982d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/tiledb/java/api/Datatype.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/tiledb/java/api/Datatype.java
@@ -23,10 +23,55 @@ public enum Datatype {
   TILEDB_STRING_UCS4,
   TILEDB_ANY;
 
+  /** @return Returns the TileDB Datatype size in Bytes * */
   public int getNativeSize() throws TileDBError {
     return tiledb.tiledb_datatype_size(this.toSwigEnum()).intValue();
   }
 
+  /** @return True if the TileDB Datatype is a scalar, false otherwise (ex. String) * */
+  public boolean isStringType() {
+    switch (this) {
+      case TILEDB_STRING_ASCII:
+      case TILEDB_STRING_UTF8:
+      case TILEDB_STRING_UTF16:
+      case TILEDB_STRING_UTF32:
+      case TILEDB_STRING_UCS2:
+      case TILEDB_STRING_UCS4:
+        return true;
+      default:
+        return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** @return True if the TileDB Datatype is an integer, false otherwise * */
+  public boolean isIntegerType() {
+    switch (this) {
+      case TILEDB_CHAR:
+      case TILEDB_INT8:
+      case TILEDB_UINT8:
+      case TILEDB_INT16:
+      case TILEDB_UINT16:
+      case TILEDB_INT32:
+      case TILEDB_UINT32:
+      case TILEDB_INT64:
+      case TILEDB_UINT64:
+        return true;
+      default:
+        return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** @return True if the TileDB Datatype is a float or double, false otherwise * */
+  public boolean isRealType() {
+    switch (this) {
+      case TILEDB_FLOAT32:
+      case TILEDB_FLOAT64:
+        return true;
+      default:
+        return false;
+    }
+  }
+
   protected tiledb_datatype_t toSwigEnum() throws TileDBError {
     switch (this) {
       case TILEDB_INT32:
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/tiledb/java/api/DatatypeTest.java b/src/test/java/io/tiledb/java/api/DatatypeTest.java
index 12ab7101..e4ac1cae 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/tiledb/java/api/DatatypeTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/tiledb/java/api/DatatypeTest.java
@@ -1,14 +1,30 @@
 package io.tiledb.java.api;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 public class DatatypeTest {
 
-  private final Datatype[] dtypes = {
-    Datatype.TILEDB_ANY,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_FLOAT32,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_FLOAT64,
+  private final Datatype[] stringDtypes = {
+    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_ASCII,
+    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UTF8,
+    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UTF16,
+    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UTF32,
+    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UCS2,
+    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UCS4
+  };
+
+  private final Datatype[] realDtypes = {
+    Datatype.TILEDB_FLOAT32, Datatype.TILEDB_FLOAT64,
+  };
+
+  private final Datatype[] integerDtypes = {
+    Datatype.TILEDB_CHAR,
+    Datatype.TILEDB_INT8,
     Datatype.TILEDB_INT8,
     Datatype.TILEDB_UINT8,
     Datatype.TILEDB_INT16,
@@ -17,19 +33,64 @@ public class DatatypeTest {
     Datatype.TILEDB_UINT32,
     Datatype.TILEDB_INT64,
     Datatype.TILEDB_UINT64,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_ASCII,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UTF8,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UTF16,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UTF32,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UCS2,
-    Datatype.TILEDB_STRING_UCS4
   };
 
+  private final Datatype[] otherDtypes = {
+    Datatype.TILEDB_ANY,
+  };
+
+  private List<Datatype> allDatatypes() {
+    ArrayList<Datatype> dtypes = new ArrayList<>();
+    Collections.addAll(dtypes, stringDtypes);
+    Collections.addAll(dtypes, integerDtypes);
+    Collections.addAll(dtypes, realDtypes);
+    Collections.addAll(dtypes, otherDtypes);
+    return dtypes;
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testDatatypeJNIConversion() throws Exception {
     // roundtrip to and from swig enum representation
-    for (Datatype dtype : dtypes) {
+    for (Datatype dtype : allDatatypes()) {
       Assert.assertEquals(dtype, Datatype.fromSwigEnum(dtype.toSwigEnum()));
     }
   }
+
+  private void checkIfType(Datatype[] trueDtypes) {}
+
+  @Test
+  public void testIsStringDtypes() {
+    List<Datatype> stringDtypesList = Arrays.asList(stringDtypes);
+    for (Datatype dtype : allDatatypes()) {
+      if (stringDtypesList.contains(dtype)) {
+        Assert.assertTrue(dtype.isStringType());
+      } else {
+        Assert.assertFalse(dtype.isStringType());
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testIsIntegerDtypes() {
+    List<Datatype> integerDtypesList = Arrays.asList(integerDtypes);
+    for (Datatype dtype : allDatatypes()) {
+      if (integerDtypesList.contains(dtype)) {
+        Assert.assertTrue(dtype.isIntegerType());
+      } else {
+        Assert.assertFalse(dtype.isIntegerType());
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testIsRealDtypes() {
+    List<Datatype> realDtypesList = Arrays.asList(realDtypes);
+    for (Datatype dtype : allDatatypes()) {
+      if (realDtypesList.contains(dtype)) {
+        Assert.assertTrue(dtype.isRealType());
+      } else {
+        Assert.assertFalse(dtype.isRealType());
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }