C# 7.0 All-in-One For Dummies

Chapter 2

Living with Variability — Declaring Value-Type Variables

IN THIS CHAPTER

Using C# variables, such as integers, as a storage locker

Declaring other types of variables — dates, characters, strings

Handling numeric constants

Changing types and letting the compiler figure out the type

The most fundamental of all concepts in programming is that of the variable. A C# variable is like a small box in which you can store things, particularly numbers, for later use. (The term variable is borrowed from the world of mathematics.)

Unfortunately for programmers, C# places several limitations on variables — limitations that mathematicians don’t have to consider. However, these limits are in place for a reason. They make it easier for C# to understand what you mean by a particular kind of variable and for you to find mistakes in your code. This chapter takes you through the steps for declaring, initializing, and using variables. It also introduces several of the most basic data types in C#.

Declaring a Variable

Mathematicians work with numbers in a precise manner, but in a way that C# ...