Literals in C# with Explanation

 

Literals in C# with Explanation

In C#, literals are the literal or constant values that are directly written in your code without any variables or calculations. Here's an explanation of different types of literals in C#:

 

1. Integer Literals:

v  Integer literals are used to represent whole numbers without decimal points.

v  They can be specified in decimal (base 10), hexadecimal (base 16), octal (base 8), or binary (base 2) formats.

v  Examples:

    

     int decimalValue = 42;        // Decimal literal

     int hexadecimalValue = 0x2A;  // Hexadecimal literal

     int octalValue = 052;         // Octal literal

     int binaryValue = 0b101010;   // Binary literal

    

 

2. Floating-Point Literals:

v  Floating-point literals are used to represent real numbers with a fractional part.

v  They can be specified using decimal notation or scientific notation.

v  Examples:

    

     double decimalValue = 3.14;      // Decimal notation

     double scientificValue = 1.23e4; // Scientific notation (1.23 x 10^4)

    

 

3. Character Literals:

v  Character literals represent single characters enclosed in single quotes.

v  They can include special escape sequences such as newline (`\n`), tab (`\t`), backspace (`\b`), etc.

v  Examples:

    

     char ch = 'A';

     char newLine = '\n';

    

 

4. String Literals:

v  String literals represent a sequence of characters enclosed in double quotes.

v  They can include escape sequences for special characters and formatting.

v  Examples:

    

     string message = "Hello, World!";

     string filePath = "C:\\temp\\file.txt";  // Backslash escape sequence

    

 

5. Boolean Literals:

v  Boolean literals represent the logical values `true` or `false`.

v  Examples:

    

     bool isTrue = true;

     bool isFalse = false;

    

 

6. Null Literal:

v  The null literal represents a null reference.

v  It is often used to indicate the absence of an object.

v  Example:

    

     string name = null;

    

 

7. Verbatim String Literals:

v  Verbatim string literals are prefixed with `@` and allow you to include special characters and escape sequences without interpretation.

v  They are often used for file paths, regular expressions, or any other string that requires a lot of backslashes or special characters.

v  Example:

    

     string filePath = @"C:\temp\file.txt";

    

 

Literals provide fixed values that are used directly in your code. They are useful for initializing variables, specifying constant values, or representing specific data in your programs. By understanding and utilizing literals, you can effectively represent different types of data in your C# code.