C# Tutorial 3.2: Variables and Data Types

 In C#, variables are used to store and manipulate data. Each variable has a specific data type that determines the kind of data it can hold. Let's explore how to declare variables and the fundamental data types in C#.

1. Declaring Variables:

In C#, you declare a variable by specifying its data type, followed by the variable name. Here's a basic example:

using System;

class Program

{

    static void Main()

    {

        // Variable declaration

        int age; // Declaring an integer variable named 'age'

        // Variable initialization

        age = 25; // Assigning the value 25 to the 'age' variable

        // Displaying the value of the variable

        Console.WriteLine("Age: " + age);

    }

}

In this example, an integer variable named age is declared, initialized with the value 25, and then displayed on the console.

2. Data Types:

C# supports various data types. Here are some of the fundamental ones:

• Numeric Types:

  • int: 32-bit signed integer.
  • float: 32-bit single-precision floating-point.
  • double: 64-bit double-precision floating-point.
  • decimal: 128-bit high-precision decimal.

• Boolean Type:

  • bool: Represents a Boolean value (true or false).

• Character Type:

  • char: Represents a single Unicode character.

• String Type:

  • string: Represents a sequence of characters.

3. Example Using Different Data Types:

Let's create a program that uses various data types:

using System;

class Program

{

    static void Main()

    {

        // Numeric types

        int age = 25;

        float height = 5.9f; // Note the 'f' suffix for float

        double weight = 160.75;

        decimal salary = 50000.50m; // Note the 'm' suffix for decimal

        // Boolean type

        bool isStudent = true;

        // Character type

        char grade = 'A';

        // String type

        string name = "John Doe";

        // Displaying values

        Console.WriteLine($"Age: {age}");

        Console.WriteLine($"Height: {height}");

        Console.WriteLine($"Weight: {weight}");

        Console.WriteLine($"Salary: {salary}");

        Console.WriteLine($"Is Student: {isStudent}");

        Console.WriteLine($"Grade: {grade}");

        Console.WriteLine($"Name: {name}");

    }

}

4. String Interpolation:

In the example above, string interpolation is used with the $ symbol before the string. This allows you to embed expressions inside string literals, making it more readable.

5. Run the Program:

Press F5 or click the "Start Debugging" button to build and run your program. You should see the output with values for each variable.

6. Experiment:

• Try changing the values of variables and see how it affects the output.
• Declare variables of different data types and experiment with their values.

Congratulations! You've learned about variables and fundamental data types in C#. In the next tutorial, we'll explore control flow statements, including if statements and loops.