C Variables

Variables serve as containers for holding data values, such as numbers and characters.

In the C programming language, various types of variables are defined using distinct keywords.

• “int” for storing integers (whole numbers) like 123 or -123
• “float” for holding floating-point numbers with decimals, such as 19.99 or -19.99
• “char” for storing single characters, like ‘a’ or ‘B’, enclosed within single quotes.

Declaring (Creating) Variables

To define a variable, indicate its type and assign it a value.

Syntax

Where “type” represents one of the C data types (like int), and “variableName” is the identifier for the variable (such as x or myName).

The equal sign is employed for assigning a value to the variable.

To define a variable intended to store a number, consider the following example:

Example

Declare a variable named myNum with the type int and initialize it with the value 15.

It’s also possible to declare a variable without immediately assigning a value to it, and assign the value later on.

Example

Output Variables

You’ve discovered that you can output values or print text using the printf() function:

Example

In numerous other programming languages such as Python, Java, and C++, it’s common to utilize a print function to showcase the value of a variable.

Nonetheless, this capability is not available in C.

Example

In order to display variables in C, it’s essential to become acquainted with a concept known as “format specifiers,” which will be covered in the upcoming chapter.