Variables in C

Variable is basically nothing but the name of a memory location that we use for storing data. We can change the value of a variable in C or any other language, and we can also reuse it multiple times. We use symbols in variables for representing the memory location- so that it becomes easily identifiable by any user.

In this article, we will take a closer look at Variables in C according to the GATE Syllabus for CSE (Computer Science Engineering). Read ahead to know more.

Table of Contents

• Use Of The Variables In C
• Rules For Naming A Variable In C
• Data Type Of The Variable
  • Types Of Primary/ Primitive Data Types In C Language
  • We Cannot Change The Data Type
• Variable Definition In C
• Declaration Of Variable In C
  • Example
• Classification Of Variables In C
• Rvalues And Lvalues In C
• Practice Problems On Variables In C
• FAQs

Use of the Variables in C

Variables are the storage areas in a code that the program can easily manipulate. Every variable in C language has some specific type- that determines the layout and the size of the memory of the variable, the range of values that the memory can hold, and the set of operations that one can perform on that variable.

The name of a variable can be a composition of digits, letters, and also underscore characters. The name of the character must begin with either an underscore or a letter. In the case of C, the lowercase and uppercase letters are distinct. It is because C is case-sensitive in nature. Let us look at some more ways in which we name a variable.

Rules for Naming a Variable in C

We give a variable a meaningful name when we create it. Here are the rules that we must follow when naming it:

1. The name of the variable must not begin with a digit.

2. A variable name can consist of digits, alphabets, and even special symbols such as an underscore ( _ ).

3. A variable name must not have any keywords, for instance, float, int, etc.

4. There must be no spaces or blanks in the variable name.

5. The C language treats lowercase and uppercase very differently, as it is case sensitive. Usually, we keep the name of the variable in the lower case.

Let us look at some of the examples,

int var1; // it is correct

int 1var; // it is incorrect – the name of the variable should not start using a number

int my_var1; // it is correct

int my$var // it is incorrect – no special characters should be in the name of the variable

char else; // there must be no keywords in the name of the variable

int my var; // it is incorrect – there must be no spaces in the name of the variable

int COUNT; // it is a new variable

int Count; // it is a new variable

int count; // it is a valid variable name

Data Type of the Variable

We must assign a data type to all the variables that are present in the C language. These define the type of data that we can store in any variable. If we do not provide the variable with a data type, the C compiler will ultimately generate a syntax error or a compile-time error.

The data Types present in the C language are float, int, double, char, long int, short int, etc., along with other modifiers.

Types of Primary/ Primitive Data Types in C Language

The variables can be of the following basic types, based on the name and the type of the variable:

Let us look at a few examples,

// int type variable in C

int marks = 45;

// char type variable in C

char status = ‘G’;

// double type variable in C

double long = 28.338612;

// float type variable in C

float percentage = 82.5;

If we try to assign a variable with an incorrect value of datatype, then the compiler will (most probably) generate an error- the compile-time error. Or else, the compiler will convert this value automatically into the intended datatype of the available variable.

Let us look at an example,

The output generated here will be:

20

As you can already look at this output- the compiler of C will remove the part that is present after the decimal. It is because the data types are capable of storing only the whole numbers.

We Cannot Change The Data Type

Once a user defines a given variable with any data type, then they will not be able to change the data type of that given variable in any case.

Let us look at an example,

// the int variable in C

int marks = 20;

float marks; // it generates an error

Variable Definition in C

The variable definition in C language tells the compiler about how much storage it should be creating for the given variable and where it should create the storage. Basically, the variable definition helps in specifying the data type. It contains a list of one variable or multiple ones as follows:

type variable_list;

In the given syntax, type must be a valid data type of C that includes w_char, char, float, int, bool, double, or any object that is user-defined. The variable_list, on the other hand, may contain one or more names of identifiers that are separated by commas. Here we have shown some of the valid declarations:

char c, ch;

int p, q, r;

double d;

float f, salary;

Here, the line int p, q, r; defines as well as declares the variables p, q, and r. It instructs the compiler to create three variables- named p, q, and r- of the type int.

We can initialize the variables in their declaration (assigned an initial value). The initializer of a variable may contain an equal sign- that gets followed by a constant expression. It goes like this:

type variable_name = value;

A few examples are −

extern int p = 3, q = 5; // for the declaration of p and q.

int p = 3, q = 5; // for the definition and initialization of p and q.

byte x = 22; // for the definition and initialization of x.

char a = ‘a’; // the variable x contains the value ‘a’.

In case of definition without the initializer: The variables with a static duration of storage are initialized implicitly with NULL (here, all bytes have a 0 value), while the initial values of all the other variables are not defined.

Declaration of Variable in C

Declaring a variable provides the compiler with an assurance that there is a variable that exists with that very given name. This way, the compiler will get a signal to proceed with the further compilation without needing the complete details regarding that variable.

The variable definition only has a meaning of its own during the time of compilation. The compiler would require an actual variable definition during the time of program linking.

The declaration of variables is useful when we use multiple numbers of files and we define the variables in one of the files that might be available during the time of program linking. We use the extern keyword for declaring a variable at any given place. Though we can declare one variable various times in a C program, we can only define it once in a function, a file, or any block of code.

Example

Let us look at the given example where we have declared the variable at the top and initialized and defined them inside the main function:

The compilation and execution of the code mentioned above will produce the result as follows:

the value of r : 30

the value of i : 23.333334

Classification of Variables in C

The variables can be of the following basic types, based on the name and the type of the variable:

• Global Variable: A variable that gets declared outside a block or a function is known as a global variable. Any function in a program is capable of changing the value of a global variable. It means that the global variable will be available to all the functions in the code. Because the global variable in c is available to all the functions, we have to declare it at the beginning of a block. Explore, Global Variable in C to know more.
  Example,
  int value=30; // a global variable
  void function1(){
  int a=20; // a local variable
  }
• Local Variable: A local variable is a type of variable that we declare inside a block or a function, unlike the global variable. Thus, we also have to declare a local variable in c at the beginning of a given block.
  Example,
  void function1(){
  int x=10; // a local variable
  }
  A user also has to initialize this local variable in a code before we use it in the program.
• Automatic Variable: Every variable that gets declared inside a block (in the C language) is by default automatic in nature. One can declare any given automatic variable explicitly using the keyword auto.
  Example,
  void main(){
  int a=80; // a local variable (it is also automatic variable)
  auto int b=50; // an automatic variable
  }
• Static Variable: The static variable in c is a variable that a user declares using the static keyword. This variable retains the given value between various function calls.
  Example, void function1(){

  int a=10; // A local variable

  static int b=10; // A static variable

  a=a+1;

  b=b+1;

  printf(“%d,%d”,a,b);

  }

  If we call this given function multiple times, then the local variable will print this very same value for every function call. For example, 11, 11, 11, and so on after this. The static variable, on the other hand, will print the value that is incremented in each and every function call. For example, 11, 12, 13, and so on.

• External Variable: A user will be capable of sharing a variable in multiple numbers of source files in C if they use an external variable. If we want to declare an external variable, then we need to use the keyword extern.
  Syntax, extern int a=10;// external variable (also a global variable)

Rvalues and Lvalues in C

There are two types of expressions in the C language:

rvalue − This term refers to the data value that gets stored at some type of memory address. The rvalue is basically an expression that has no value assigned to it. It means that an rvalue may appear on the RHS (right-hand side), but it cannot appear on the LHS (left-hand side) of any given assignment.

lvalue − lvalue expressions are the expressions that refer to any given memory location. The lvalue can appear as both- the RHS as well as the LHS of any assignment.

A variable is an lvalue. Thus, it may appear on the LHS of an assignment as well, along with the RHS. The numeric literals are rvalues. Thus, these might not be assigned. Thus, these can’t appear on the LHS. Here are two statements- one valid and invalid:

Example,

int g = 10; // a valid statement

30 = 60; // an invalid statement; will generate a compile-time error

Practice Problems on Variables in C

1. Which of these is a primary data type in the C language?

1. char

2. float

3. void

4. enum

A. All of the above

B. 1, 3, 4

C. 1, 2, 4

D. 2, 3

Answer – A. All of the above

2. Which of these is the correct name for a variable?

1. int 1var;

2. int my$var

3. char else;

4. int my var;

5. int Count;

A. 3, 4

B. 5

C. 1, 2

D. All of the Above

E. None of the above

Answer – B. 5

3. The statement, “Every variable that gets declared inside a block (in the C language) is by default automatic in nature.” is:

A. True

B. False

C. Conditional

Answer – A. True

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Also Explore,

• Constants in C
• Data Types in C
• Double Data Type in C
• Enumerated Data Type in C
• Operator Precedence and Associativity in C
• Stacks and Its Applications
• Static Variable in C
• Storage Classes in C