Data Types and Variables
Data Types and Variables
● Unlike a number of modern programming
languages, C requires that you specify the data type
of every variable you create, the first time you use
that variable.
● Let’s have a look at some of the data types that
come with C and the data types we also provide for
you in CS50.
Data Types and Variables
● int
● The int data type is used for variables that will store
integers.
● Integers always take up 4 bytes of memory (32 bits). This
means the range of values they can store is necessarily
limited to 32 bits worth of information.
Integer Range
-231 0 231-1
Data Types and Variables
● unsigned int
● unsigned is a qualifier that can be applied to certain
types (including int), which effectively doubles the
positive range of variables of that type, at the cost of
disallowing any negative values.
● You’ll occasionally have use for unsigned variables in
CS50.
Unsigned Integer Range
0 231 232-1
Data Types and Variables
● char
● The char data type is used for variables that will store single
characters.
● Characters always take up 1 byte of memory (8 bits). This
means the range of values they can store is necessarily limited
to 8 bits worth of information.
● Thanks to ASCII, we’ve developed a mapping of characters like
A, B, C, etc… to numeric values in the positive side of this
range.
Character Range
-128 0 127
Data Types and Variables
● float
● The float data type is used for variables that will store
floating-point values, also known as real numbers.
● Floating points values always take up 4 bytes of memory
(32 bits).
● It’s a little complicated to describe the range of a float,
but suffice it to say with 32 bits of precision, some of
which might be used for an integer part, we are limited
in how precise we can be.
Data Types and Variables
● double
● The double data type is used for variables that will
store floating-point values, also known as real numbers.
● The difference is that doubles are double precision. They
always take up 8 bytes of memory (64 bits).
● With an additional 32 bits of precision relative to a
float, doubles allow us to be specify much more
precise real numbers.
Data Types and Variables
● void
● Is a type, but not a data type.
● Functions can have a void return type, which just
means they don’t return a value.
● The parameter list of a function can also be void. It
simply means the function takes no parameters.
● For now, think of void more as a placeholder for
“nothing”. It’s more complex than that, but this should
suffice for the better part of the course.
Data Types and Variables
● Those are the five primary types you’ll encounter in
C.
● In CS50, we also provide you with two additional
types that will probably come in handy.
Data Types and Variables
● bool
● The bool data type is used for variables that will store a
Boolean value. More precisely, they are capable only of
storing one of two values: true and false.
● Be sure to #include <cs50.h> atop your programs if
you wish to use the bool type.
Data Types and Variables
● string
● The string data type is used for variables that will
store a series of characters, which programmers typically
call a string.
● Strings include things such as words, sentences,
paragraphs, and the like.
● Be sure to #include <cs50.h> atop your programs if
you wish to use the string type.
Data Types and Variables
● Later in the course we’ll also encounter structures
(structs) and defined types (typedefs) that
afford great flexibility in creating data types you
need for your programs.
● Now, let’s discuss how to create, manipulate, and
otherwise work with variables using these data
types.
Data Types and Variables
● Creating a variable
● To bring a variable into existence, you need simply specify the
data type of the variable and give it a name.
int number;
char letter;
● If you wish to create multiple variables of the same type, you
specify the type name once, and then list as many variables of
that type as you want.
int height, width;
float sqrt2, sqrt3, pi;
● In general, it’s good practice to only declare variables when
you need them.
Data Types and Variables
● Using a variable
● After a variable has been declared, it’s no longer necessary to
specify that variable’s type. (In fact, doing so has some
unintended consequences!)
int number; // declaration
number = 17; // assignment
char letter; // declaration
letter = ‘H’; // assignment
● If you are simultaneously declaring and setting the value of a
variable (sometimes called initializing), you can consolidate
this to one step.
int number = 17; // initialization
char letter = ‘H’; // initialization
