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 = &num; // 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.

Different types of variables in C with Example