Programming Fundamentals (COMP1112)
Lecture 2
Data types and Variables – Input/Output
Division of Science & Technology
University of Education, Lahore.
Data type
• The data type specifies the size and type of information the variable
will store
Data type, size, description
long 8 bytes Stores whole numbers of larger size, without decimals
int 4 bytes Stores whole numbers, without decimals
float 4 bytes Stores fractional numbers, containing one or more decimals.
Sufficient for storing 7 decimal digits
double 8 bytes Stores fractional numbers, containing one or more decimals.
Sufficient for storing 15 decimal digits
boolean 1 byte Stores true or false values
char 1 byte Stores a single character/letter/number, or ASCII values
Overflow and Underflow
• Overflow occurs when the value assigned to a variable is more than
maximum possible value. ( ARIANE 5)
• Underflow occurs when the value assigned to a variable is less than
minimum value that could be stored.
• Range of integer: -32768 to 32767
Some examples
• int myNum = 1000;
cout << myNum;
• float myNum = 5.75;
cout << myNum;
• double myNum = 19.99;
cout << myNum;
float vs. double
• The precision of a floating point value indicates how
many digits the value can have after the decimal point.
• The precision of float is only six or seven decimal
digits, while double variables have a precision of about
15 digits.
• It is safer to use double for most calculations.
Boolean
A boolean data type is declared with the bool keyword
and can only take the values true or false.
When the value is returned, true = 1 and false = 0.
• bool ProgramSubmitted = true;
bool classAttended = false;
cout <<ProgramSubmitted ; // Outputs 1 (true)
cout << classAttended ; // Outputs 0 (false)
Character type
• The char data type is used to store a single character. The
character must be surrounded by single quotes, like 'A' or 'c‘.
• char myGrade = 'B';
cout << myGrade;
Alternatively, you can use ASCII values to display certain characters,
ASCII stands for the "American Standard Code for Information Interchange“
char a = 65, b = 66, c = 67;
cout << a;
cout << b;
cout << c;
Output:
ABC
String type
String type is used to store a sequence of characters (text). This
is not a built-in type, but it behaves like one in its most basic
usage. String values must be surrounded by double quotes.
• //include the string library
#include <string>
// Create a string variable
string greeting = "Hello";
// Output string value
cout << greeting;
Output:
Hello
Variables
• Variables are containers for storing data values.
Declaring (Creating) Variables
• To create a variable, you must specify the type and name of the
variable.
• Syntax
type variable = value;
Where type is one of C++ data types and variable is the name of the
variable such as “x”, “myVar”
The equal sign is used to assign values to the variable.
Some examples
• int myNum = 15; //declare variable and assign value
cout << myNum;
• int myNum; //declare variable and assign value later
myNum = 15;
cout << myNum;
//assigning new value to existing variable with overwrite the previous value
• int myNum = 15; // myNum is 15
myNum = 10; // Now myNum is 10
cout << myNum; // Outputs 10
Const keyword
• You can add the const keyword if you don't want others
(or yourself) to override existing values (this will
declare the variable as "constant", which
means unchangeable and read-only).
• const int myNum = 15; // myNum will always be 15
myNum = 10; // error: assignment of read-only variable 'myNum'
Other types demonstration
• int myNum = 5; // Integer (whole number without decimals)
• double myFloatNum = 5.99; // Floating point number (with decimals)
• char myLetter = 'D'; // Character
• string myText = "Hello"; // String (text)
• bool myBoolean = true; // Boolean (true or false)
Display Variables
• cout object is used together with the << operator to display
variables. To combine both text and a variable, separate them
with the << operator ( insertion operators <<)
• int myAge = 35;
cout << "I am " << myAge << " years old.";
Declare Many Variables
• To declare more than one variable of the same type, you can use a
comma-separated list:
• int x = 5, y = 6, z = 50;
cout << x + y + z;
Identifiers
• All C++ variables must be identified with the unique names. These unique
names are called identifiers.
• Identifiers can be short names (like x and y) or more descriptive names
(age, sum, totalVolume)
• It is recommended to use descriptive names in order to create
understandable and maintainable code.
• The general rules for constructing names for variables (unique identifiers)
are:
• Names can contain letters, digits and underscores
• Names must begin with a letter or an underscore (_)
• Names are case sensitive.
• Names cannot contain whitespaces or special characters like !, #, %, etc
• Reserve words (keywords like int) cannot be used as names.
Example program
• A program that takes two integer inputs from user and display its sum.
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
main()
{
int x=0;
int y=0;
int sum=0;
cout<< “enter the value for x”; //insertion operators <<
cin>>x; //extraction operators >>
cout<< “enter the value for y”;
cin>>y;
sum= x+y;
cout<<“sum of x and y is”<<sum;
}
Variable scoping
• Variable is visible within the scope in which it is declared.
• Variable with same name cannot be declared within same scope;
however, this can be done if scope is different.
• Formal parameters have functional scope.
main()
{
int a=0;
int a=2; //error
}
Variable scoping –example 1
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
//global variable
int x=4;
main()
{
int x=2; //local variable
cout<<x;
}
Output? How to access global variable?
Variable scoping –example 1
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
//global variable
int x=4;
main()
{
int x=2; //local variable
cout<<x;
cout<<::x;
}
Output:
24
Class activity ( variables, data types, and input/output)
• Write a C++ program that takes following information of a citizen from
user:
• Citizen name
• CNIC number
• Address
• The input of address should separately be taken for house no., street no., block no., area,
city, province, and country.
• Also, take the information regarding whether the citizen is living in the specified address
or not.
• The program should display the details of citizen on screen where the
complete address should be shown in a single line.
References
• C++ How to Program
By Deitel & Deitel
• The C++ Programming Language
By Bjarne Stroustrup
• Object oriented programming using C++ by Tasleem Mustafa, Imran Saeed,
Tariq Mehmood, Ahsan Raza
• W3schools.com
