C Variables

Variables and data types are fundamental building blocks of any C program. Understanding how to declare variables, what types of data C supports, and how to work with them is essential for programming in C.

What is a Variable?

A variable is a named storage location in memory that holds a value. The value stored in a variable can be changed during program execution.

c

int age = 25; // 'age' is a variable that stores the integer value 25

Variable Declaration in C

In C, you must declare variables before using them. The basic syntax for declaring a variable is:

c

data_type variable_name;

You can also initialize a variable at the time of declaration:

c

data_type variable_name = initial_value;

Multiple Variable Declaration

You can declare multiple variables of the same type in a single statement:

c

int x, y, z;
int a = 10, b = 20, c = 30;

Variable Naming Rules

When naming variables in C, follow these rules:

• Names can contain letters, digits, and underscores
• Names must begin with a letter or underscore
• Names are case-sensitive (count and Count are different variables)
• Reserved keywords cannot be used as variable names
• Names should be meaningful and descriptive

c

// Valid variable names
int age;
float _temperature;
char studentName[50];

// Invalid variable names
int 1count;      // Cannot start with a digit
float if;        // Cannot use reserved keyword
char student-name[50]; // Cannot use hyphen

Basic Data Types in C

C provides several basic data types to represent different kinds of data:

Integer Types

Integer types store whole numbers without decimal points.

Type	Size (typical)	Range (typical)
char	1 byte	-128 to 127 or 0 to 255
short	2 bytes	-32,768 to 32,767
int	4 bytes	-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
long	4 or 8 bytes	Varies by system
long long	8 bytes	-9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807

c

char grade = 'A';
short small_number = 123;
int count = 1000;
long big_number = 1000000L;
long long very_big_number = 9000000000LL;

Floating-Point Types

Floating-point types store numbers with decimal points.

Type	Size	Precision
float	4 bytes	6-7 decimal digits
double	8 bytes	15-16 decimal digits
long double	10-16 bytes	18-19 decimal digits

c

float temperature = 98.6f;
double pi = 3.14159265359;
long double very_precise = 3.14159265359L;

Void Type

The void type specifies that no value is available. It is used:

• As function return type for functions that don't return a value
• For functions with no parameters
• For generic pointers

c

void function_without_return_value(void);

Type Modifiers

C provides type modifiers to alter the range of data types:

Modifier	Effect
signed	Allows positive and negative values (default for most types)
unsigned	Allows only positive values, doubling the positive range

c

unsigned int positive_only = 4000000000; // Regular int couldn't hold this value
signed char temperature = -15;           // Can hold negative values

The sizeof Operator

The sizeof operator returns the size (in bytes) of a data type or variable.

c

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    printf("Size of int: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(int));
    printf("Size of float: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(float));
    
    int number = 10;
    printf("Size of variable 'number': %lu bytes\n", sizeof(number));
    
    return 0;
}

Type Qualifiers

Type qualifiers provide additional information about variables:

• const: Variable cannot be modified after initialization
• volatile: Value might change unexpectedly
• restrict: Pointer is the only way to access an object (C99)

c

const double PI = 3.14159;  // Cannot be modified
volatile int sensor_value;  // May change due to external factors

Example: Working with Variables and Data Types

Here's a comprehensive example demonstrating various data types and variables:

c

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Integer types
    char character = 'A';
    unsigned char byte = 255;
    int number = 42;
    unsigned int positive_number = 3000000000;
    
    // Floating-point types
    float decimal = 3.14f;
    double precise_decimal = 3.14159265359;
    
    // Output variable values
    printf("Character: %c (ASCII: %d)\n", character, character);
    printf("Byte value: %u\n", byte);
    printf("Integer: %d\n", number);
    printf("Unsigned integer: %u\n", positive_number);
    printf("Float: %f\n", decimal);
    printf("Double: %.10lf\n", precise_decimal);
    
    // Output variable sizes
    printf("\nSize Information:\n");
    printf("Size of char: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(char));
    printf("Size of int: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(int));
    printf("Size of float: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(float));
    printf("Size of double: %lu bytes\n", sizeof(double));
    
    return 0;
}

Best Practices

1. Initialize variables: Always initialize variables when declaring them to avoid undefined behavior.

   c

   int count = 0;  // Good practice
   int count;      // May contain garbage value

2. Use appropriate data types: Choose the smallest data type that can hold your data to conserve memory.

3. Use meaningful names: Name variables clearly to improve code readability.

   c

   int age;       // Good
   int a;         // Unclear

4. Be aware of type limits: Understand the limits of each data type to avoid overflow.

Summary

Variables in C provide named storage locations for data. C offers various data types like integers, floating-point numbers, and characters to efficiently represent different kinds of information. Understanding these basics is crucial for writing effective C programs.

In the next section, we'll learn about constants and literals in C, which are similar to variables but with values that cannot be changed.