From the course: Computer Science Principles: Programming
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Work with values and variables
From the course: Computer Science Principles: Programming
Work with values and variables
- Computers store, process, and access data and information. In a computer program, a programmer does this with variables. Variables have two sides to them. For the programmer, it is a name that you use to refer to a value throughout your program. The computer then reserves an amount of space in memory to store that value and make it available to you as a programmer. The easiest value to think of is a number, like the number three. Three is a number of things, like three paperclips. The number three is called an integer. An integer is a whole number that counts the number of objects or things. With an integer, I can add to it or subtract from it. There are two types of integers, however: unsigned and signed. When you think of three paperclips, you don't think in terms of positive or negative. You just simply have three paperclips. But if I used to have five paperclips, and now I have three, how would I represent the change in value? I would use a negative number to indicate that I…
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