Variables in C

What is variable in C?

Variables in C: A variables are used to store data values that can be manipulated and accessed throughout the program. Each variable in C has a specific data type which defines what kind of data it can hold (e.g., integer, character, floating-point number, etc.). Here are some common variable types in C along with examples:

Different Types of Variables in C

Integer Variables (int): Used to store whole numbers (both positive and negative) without decimal points.

int age = 30;

In this example, age is a variable of type int that stores the value 30.

Character variable in C

Character Variables (char): Used to store single characters (letters, digits, special symbols) enclosed in single quotes. But if you want to store multiple characters in a variable, you need to declare a character array variable. We shall discuss it in separate article.

char grade = 'A';

Here, grade is a variable of type char storing the character 'A'.

Floating variable in C

Floating-point Variables (float and double): Used to store numbers with decimal points. float is a single-precision floating-point type, while double is a double-precision floating-point type which provides more precision.

float pi = 3.14;
double largeNumber = 123456.789;

In these examples, pi is a float variable storing 3.14, and largeNumber is a double variable storing 123456.789.

Boolean Variable in C

Boolean Variables (bool): Used to store true or false values.

#include <stdbool.h>
bool isReady = true;

Here, isReady is a bool variable set to true.

Array Variable in C

Arrays: Variables that can hold multiple values of the same data type. Elements in an array are accessed using an index.

int numbers[5] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};

numbers is an array of int type with 5 elements.

Pointer Variable in C

Pointer Variables (*): Variables that store memory addresses. Pointers are used for dynamic memory allocation and advanced data structures.

int *ptr;
int num = 10;
ptr = # // ptr now holds the address of num

Here, ptr is a pointer variable that can hold the address of an int.

Structure Variable in C

Structures (struct): Variables that can hold different data types grouped together under a single name.

struct Person {
    char name[50];
    int age;
    float salary;
};

struct Person employee;
employee.age = 30;

employee is a structure variable of type struct Person storing information about a person.

These are some of the fundamental variable types in C. Understanding these types helps programmers choose appropriate storage for their data and write efficient and clear code.