In C, variables are used to store data that can be manipulated or accessed within a program. Here are some key points about variables in C:
1. Declaration: Before using a variable, you need to declare it. Variable declaration specifies the data type of the variable and optionally initializes its value.
2. Data Types: C supports various data types such as integers (int
), floating-point numbers (float
, double
), characters (char
), etc. Each data type has a specific size and range of values.
3. Naming Convention: Variable names in C must begin with a letter (either uppercase or lowercase) or an underscore (_
). They can be followed by letters, digits, or underscores. C is case-sensitive, so num
, Num
, and NUM
are considered different variables.
4. Scope: The scope of a variable determines where in the code it can be accessed. Variables declared within a function are typically local to that function, while variables declared outside of any function (at the global scope) are accessible throughout the entire program.
5. Constants: In C, you can declare constants using the const
keyword. Once assigned a value, constants cannot be changed during program execution.
6. Initialization: Variables can be initialized at the time of declaration or later in the program.
Storage Classes: C supports different storage classes for variables, such as auto
, static
, extern
, and register
. These control aspects like lifetime, scope, and linkage of variables.
Variables play a crucial role in storing and manipulating data in C programs, and understanding how to declare and use them is fundamental to writing effective C code