Data Types in C

A data type specifies the type of data that a variable can store such as integer,
floating, character, etc.

There are the following data types in C language.

Types Data Types

Basic Data Type int, char, float, double

Derived Data Type array, pointer, structure, union

Enumeration Data Type enum

Void Data Type void

Basic Data Types

The basic data types are integer-based and floating-point based. C language
supports both signed and unsigned literals.

The memory size of the basic data types may change according to 32 or 64-bit
operating system.

Let's see the basic data types. Its size is given according to 32-bit architecture.
Data Types Memory Range
Size

char (by default signed) 1 byte −128 to 127

signed char 1 byte −128 to 127

unsigned char 1 byte 0 to 255

Short (by default 2 byte −32,768 to 32,767

signed)

signed short 2 byte −32,768 to 32,767

unsigned short 2 byte 0 to 65,535

int (by default signed) 2 byte −32,768 to 32,767

signed int 2 byte −32,768 to 32,767

unsigned int 2 byte 0 to 65,535

short (by default 2 byte −32,768 to 32,767

signed)

signed short int 2 byte −32,768 to 32,767

unsigned short int 2 byte 0 to 65,535

long (by default signed) 4 byte -9223372036854775808 to 9223372036854775807

signed long 4 byte -9223372036854775808 to 9223372036854775807

unsigned long 4 byte 0 to 18446744073709551615

float 4 byte

double 8 byte

long double 10 byte

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <limits.h>
#include <float.h>

int main(int argc, char** argv) {

printf("CHAR_BIT : %d\n", CHAR_BIT);

printf("CHAR_MAX : %d\n", CHAR_MAX);
printf("CHAR_MIN : %d\n", CHAR_MIN);
printf("INT_MAX : %d\n", INT_MAX);
printf("INT_MIN : %d\n", INT_MIN);
printf("LONG_MAX : %ld\n", (long) LONG_MAX);
printf("LONG_MIN : %ld\n", (long) LONG_MIN);
printf("SCHAR_MAX : %d\n", SCHAR_MAX);
printf("SCHAR_MIN : %d\n", SCHAR_MIN);
printf("SHRT_MAX : %d\n", SHRT_MAX);
printf("SHRT_MIN : %d\n", SHRT_MIN);
printf("UCHAR_MAX : %d\n", UCHAR_MAX);
printf("UINT_MAX : %u\n", (unsigned int) UINT_MAX);
printf("ULONG_MAX : %lu\n", (unsigned long) ULONG_MAX);
printf("USHRT_MAX : %d\n", (unsigned short) USHRT_MAX);

return 0;
}

Floating-Point Types
The following table provide the details of standard floating-point types with
storage sizes and value ranges and their precision −

Type Storage size Value range Prec

float 4 byte 1.2E-38 to 3.4E+38 6 decima

double 8 byte 2.3E-308 to 1.7E+308 15 decim

long double 10 byte 3.4E-4932 to 1.1E+4932 19 decim

The header file float.h defines macros that allow you to use these values and
other details about the binary representation of real numbers in your programs.
The following example prints the storage space taken by a float type and its
range values −
 Live Demo
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <limits.h>
#include <float.h>

int main(int argc, char** argv) {

printf("Storage size for float : %d \n", sizeof(float));

printf("FLT_MAX : %g\n", (float) FLT_MAX);
printf("FLT_MIN : %g\n", (float) FLT_MIN);
printf("-FLT_MAX : %g\n", (float) -FLT_MAX);
printf("-FLT_MIN : %g\n", (float) -FLT_MIN);
printf("DBL_MAX : %g\n", (double) DBL_MAX);
printf("DBL_MIN : %g\n", (double) DBL_MIN);
printf("-DBL_MAX : %g\n", (double) -DBL_MAX);
printf("Precision value: %d\n", FLT_DIG );

return 0;
}

C - Variables
Advertisements

 Previous Page
Next Page  
A variable is nothing but a name given to a storage area that our programs can
manipulate. Each variable in C has a specific type, which determines the size
and layout of the variable's memory; the range of values that can be stored within
that memory; and the set of operations that can be applied to the variable.
The name of a variable can be composed of letters, digits, and the underscore
character. It must begin with either a letter or an underscore. Upper and
lowercase letters are distinct because C is case-sensitive. Based on the basic
types explained in the previous chapter, there will be the following basic variable
types −

Sr.No. Type & Description

1
char
Typically a single octet(one byte). It is an integer type.
 2
int
The most natural size of integer for the machine.

3
float
A single-precision floating point value.

4
double
A double-precision floating point value.

5
void
Represents the absence of type.

C programming language also allows to define various other types of variables,

which we will cover in subsequent chapters like Enumeration, Pointer, Array,
Structure, Union, etc. For this chapter, let us study only basic variable types.

Variable Definition in C
A variable definition tells the compiler where and how much storage to create for
the variable. A variable definition specifies a data type and contains a list of one
or more variables of that type as follows −
type variable_list;
Here, type must be a valid C data type including char, w_char, int, float, double,
bool, or any user-defined object; and variable_list may consist of one or more
identifier names separated by commas. Some valid declarations are shown here
−
int i, j, k;
char c, ch;
float f, salary;
double d;
The line int i, j, k; declares and defines the variables i, j, and k; which instruct the
compiler to create variables named i, j and k of type int.
Variables can be initialized (assigned an initial value) in their declaration. The
initializer consists of an equal sign followed by a constant expression as follows −
type variable_name = value;
Some examples are −
extern int d = 3, f = 5; // declaration of d and f.
int d = 3, f = 5; // definition and initializing d and f.
byte z = 22; // definition and initializes z.
char x = 'x'; // the variable x has the value 'x'.
For definition without an initializer: variables with static storage duration are
implicitly initialized with NULL (all bytes have the value 0); the initial value of all
other variables are undefined.

Variable Declaration in C
A variable declaration provides assurance to the compiler that there exists a
variable with the given type and name so that the compiler can proceed for
further compilation without requiring the complete detail about the variable. A
variable definition has its meaning at the time of compilation only, the compiler
needs actual variable definition at the time of linking the program.
A variable declaration is useful when you are using multiple files and you define
your variable in one of the files which will be available at the time of linking of the
program. You will use the keyword extern to declare a variable at any place.
Though you can declare a variable multiple times in your C program, it can be
defined only once in a file, a function, or a block of code.
Example
Try the following example, where variables have been declared at the top, but
they have been defined and initialized inside the main function −
 Live Demo

#include <stdio.h>

// Variable declaration:
extern int a, b;
extern int c;
extern float f;

int main () {

/* variable definition: */
int a, b;
int c;
float f;
 /* actual initialization */
a = 10;
b = 20;

c = a + b;
printf("value of c : %d \n", c);

f = 70.0/3.0;
printf("value of f : %f \n", f);

return 0;
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result
−
value of c : 30
value of f : 23.333334
The same concept applies on function declaration where you provide a function
name at the time of its declaration and its actual definition can be given
anywhere else. For example −
// function declaration
int func();

int main() {

// function call
int i = func();
}

// function definition
int func() {
return 0;
}

Lvalues and Rvalues in C

There are two kinds of expressions in C −
 lvalue − Expressions that refer to a memory location are called "lvalue"
expressions. An lvalue may appear as either the left-hand or right-hand
side of an assignment.
 rvalue − The term rvalue refers to a data value that is stored at some
address in memory. An rvalue is an expression that cannot have a value
assigned to it which means an rvalue may appear on the right-hand side
but not on the left-hand side of an assignment.
Variables are lvalues and so they may appear on the left-hand side of an
assignment. Numeric literals are rvalues and so they may not be assigned and
cannot appear on the left-hand side. Take a look at the following valid and invalid
statements −
int g = 20; // valid statement

10 = 20; // invalid statement; would generate compile-time error

C - Constants and Literals

Advertisements

 Previous Page
Next Page  
Constants refer to fixed values that the program may not alter during its
execution. These fixed values are also called literals.
Constants can be of any of the basic data types like an integer constant, a
floating constant, a character constant, or a string literal. There are enumeration
constants as well.
Constants are treated just like regular variables except that their values cannot
be modified after their definition.

Integer Literals
An integer literal can be a decimal, octal, or hexadecimal constant. A prefix
specifies the base or radix: 0x or 0X for hexadecimal, 0 for octal, and nothing for
decimal.
An integer literal can also have a suffix that is a combination of U and L, for
unsigned and long, respectively. The suffix can be uppercase or lowercase and
can be in any order.
Here are some examples of integer literals −
212 /* Legal */
215u /* Legal */
0xFeeL /* Legal */
078 /* Illegal: 8 is not an octal digit */
032UU /* Illegal: cannot repeat a suffix */
Following are other examples of various types of integer literals −
85 /* decimal */
0213 /* octal */
0x4b /* hexadecimal */
30 /* int */
30u /* unsigned int */
30l /* long */
30ul /* unsigned long */

Floating-point Literals
A floating-point literal has an integer part, a decimal point, a fractional part, and
an exponent part. You can represent floating point literals either in decimal form
or exponential form.
While representing decimal form, you must include the decimal point, the
exponent, or both; and while representing exponential form, you must include the
integer part, the fractional part, or both. The signed exponent is introduced by e
or E.
Here are some examples of floating-point literals −
3.14159 /* Legal */
314159E-5L /* Legal */
510E /* Illegal: incomplete exponent */
210f /* Illegal: no decimal or exponent */
.e55 /* Illegal: missing integer or fraction */

Character Constants
Character literals are enclosed in single quotes, e.g., 'x' can be stored in a simple
variable of char type.
A character literal can be a plain character (e.g., 'x'), an escape sequence (e.g., '\
t'), or a universal character (e.g., '\u02C0').
There are certain characters in C that represent special meaning when preceded
by a backslash for example, newline (\n) or tab (\t).

  Here, you have a list of such escape sequence codes −

Following is the example to show a few escape sequence characters −

 Live Demo
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
printf("Hello\tWorld\n\n");
 return 0;
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result
−
Hello World

String Literals
String literals or constants are enclosed in double quotes "". A string contains
characters that are similar to character literals: plain characters, escape
sequences, and universal characters.
You can break a long line into multiple lines using string literals and separating
them using white spaces.
Here are some examples of string literals. All the three forms are identical
strings.
"hello, dear"

"hello, \

dear"

"hello, " "d" "ear"

Defining Constants
There are two simple ways in C to define constants −
 Using #define preprocessor.
 Using const keyword.

The #define Preprocessor

Given below is the form to use #define preprocessor to define a constant −
#define identifier value
The following example explains it in detail −
 Live Demo
#include <stdio.h>

#define LENGTH 10
#define WIDTH 5
#define NEWLINE '\n'

int main() {
int area;

area = LENGTH * WIDTH;

printf("value of area : %d", area);
printf("%c", NEWLINE);

return 0;
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result
−
value of area : 50

The const Keyword

You can use const prefix to declare constants with a specific type as follows −
const type variable = value;
The following example explains it in detail −
 Live Demo
#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
const int LENGTH = 10;
const int WIDTH = 5;
const char NEWLINE = '\n';
int area;

area = LENGTH * WIDTH;

printf("value of area : %d", area);
printf("%c", NEWLINE);

return 0;
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result
−
value of area : 50
Note that it is a good programming practice to define constants in CAPITALS.
 C - Operators
Advertisements

 Previous Page
Next Page  
An operator is a symbol that tells the compiler to perform specific mathematical
or logical functions. C language is rich in built-in operators and provides the
following types of operators −

 Arithmetic Operators
 Relational Operators
 Logical Operators
 Bitwise Operators
 Assignment Operators
 Misc Operators
We will, in this chapter, look into the way each operator works.

Arithmetic Operators
The following table shows all the arithmetic operators supported by the C
language. Assume variable A holds 10 and variable B holds 20 then −
Show Examples

Operator Description Example

+ Adds two operands. A + B = 30

− Subtracts second operand from the first. A − B = -10

* Multiplies both operands. A * B = 200

/ Divides numerator by de-numerator. B/A=2

% Modulus Operator and remainder of after an integer division. B%A=0

++ Increment operator increases the integer value by one. A++ = 11

-- Decrement operator decreases the integer value by one. A-- = 9

Relational Operators
The following table shows all the relational operators supported by C. Assume
variable A holds 10 and variable B holds 20 then −
Show Examples

Operator Description

== Checks if the values of two operands are equal or not. If yes, then the condition becomes
true.

!= Checks if the values of two operands are equal or not. If the values are not equal, then the
condition becomes true.

> Checks if the value of left operand is greater than the value of right operand. If yes, then th
condition becomes true.

< Checks if the value of left operand is less than the value of right operand. If yes, then the
condition becomes true.

>= Checks if the value of left operand is greater than or equal to the value of right operand. If
yes, then the condition becomes true.

<= Checks if the value of left operand is less than or equal to the value of right operand. If yes
then the condition becomes true.

Logical Operators
Following table shows all the logical operators supported by C language. Assume
variable A holds 1 and variable B holds 0, then −
Show Examples

Operator Description

&& Called Logical AND operator. If both the operands are non-zero, then the condition becom
true.

|| Called Logical OR Operator. If any of the two operands is non-zero, then the condition
becomes true.

! Called Logical NOT Operator. It is used to reverse the logical state of its operand. If a
condition is true, then Logical NOT operator will make it false.
Bitwise Operators
Bitwise operator works on bits and perform bit-by-bit operation. The truth tables
for &, |, and ^ is as follows −

p q p&q p|q

0 0 0 0

0 1 0 1

1 1 1 1

1 0 0 1

Assume A = 60 and B = 13 in binary format, they will be as follows −

A = 0011 1100
B = 0000 1101
-----------------
A&B = 0000 1100
A|B = 0011 1101
A^B = 0011 0001
~A = 1100 0011
The following table lists the bitwise operators supported by C. Assume variable
'A' holds 60 and variable 'B' holds 13, then −
Show Examples

Operator Description

& Binary AND Operator copies a bit to the result if it exists in both operands.

| Binary OR Operator copies a bit if it exists in either operand.

^ Binary XOR Operator copies the bit if it is set in one operand but not both.
 ~
Binary One's Complement Operator is unary and has the effect of 'flipping' bits.

<< Binary Left Shift Operator. The left operands value is moved left by the number of bits
specified by the right operand.

>> Binary Right Shift Operator. The left operands value is moved right by the number of bits
specified by the right operand.

Assignment Operators
The following table lists the assignment operators supported by the C language −
Show Examples

Operator Description

= Simple assignment operator. Assigns values from right side operands to left side operand

+= Add AND assignment operator. It adds the right operand to the left operand and assign the
result to the left operand.

-= Subtract AND assignment operator. It subtracts the right operand from the left operand an
assigns the result to the left operand.

*= Multiply AND assignment operator. It multiplies the right operand with the left operand and
assigns the result to the left operand.

/= Divide AND assignment operator. It divides the left operand with the right operand and
 assigns the result to the left operand.

%= Modulus AND assignment operator. It takes modulus using two operands and assigns the
result to the left operand.

<<= Left shift AND assignment operator.

>>= Right shift AND assignment operator.

&= Bitwise AND assignment operator.

^= Bitwise exclusive OR and assignment operator.

|= Bitwise inclusive OR and assignment operator.

Misc Operators ↦ sizeof & ternary

Besides the operators discussed above, there are a few other important
operators including sizeof and ? : supported by the C Language.
Show Examples

Operator Description Example

sizeof() Returns the size of a variable. sizeof(a), where a is integer, will return

& Returns the address of a variable. &a; returns the actual address of the va

* Pointer to a variable. *a;

?: Conditional Expression. If Condition is true ? then value X : othe

Operators Precedence in C
Operator precedence determines the grouping of terms in an expression and
decides how an expression is evaluated. Certain operators have higher
precedence than others; for example, the multiplication operator has a higher
precedence than the addition operator.
For example, x = 7 + 3 * 2; here, x is assigned 13, not 20 because operator * has
a higher precedence than +, so it first gets multiplied with 3*2 and then adds into
7.
Here, operators with the highest precedence appear at the top of the table, those
with the lowest appear at the bottom. Within an expression, higher precedence
operators will be evaluated first.
Show Examples

Category Operator Asso

Postfix () [] -> . ++ - - Left

Unary + - ! ~ ++ - - (type)* & sizeof Righ

Multiplicative */% Left

Additive +- Left

Shift << >> Left

Relational < <= > >= Left

Equality == != Left

Bitwise AND & Left

Bitwise XOR ^ Left

Bitwise OR | Left

Logical AND && Left

Logical OR || Left

Conditional ?: Righ

Assignment = += -= *= /= %=>>= <<= &= ^= |= Righ

Comma , Left