Store and Retrieve Data Using Literal and Variable Values in C#

December 30, 2024

C# is a strongly typed language, meaning that every variable must be declared with a specific type, and values assigned to it must be compatible with that type.

Question

Which of the following lines of code creates a variable correctly?

Try to answer this question first on freeCodeCamp .

Option 1

int x = 12.3m;

Here, we’re declaring a variable x of type int . The key point to remember is that int is used for whole numbers not decimals.

We’re then trying to assign it to the value 12.3m. The presence of a decimal point makes this a floating-point value, and the m suffix is the literal for a decimal.

C# is a strongly typed language and enforces type safety. Assigning a decimal value to an int variable is not allowed as it would lead to data loss. This kind of mismatch causes a compiler error.

This is incorrect.

Option 2

decimal x = 12.3m;

Here, we’re declaring a variable x of type decimal and assign the literal 12.3m. The m suffix is the literal for a decimal. This tells the compiler this is a decimal, not a double (which would be the default for floating-point literals without a suffix).

This is the correct answer.

Option 3

bool x = 'False';

Here, we’re declaring a variable x of type bool . A bool can can either be true or false.

Next we assign x to the value 'False' enclosed in single quotes which in C# denotes a char (a single character).

Since 'False' is actually multiple characters, this won’t compile either.

If you wanted to assign a bool with the value false, you would write:

bool x = false;

This is incorrect.