Keywords in C

Keywords in C: Understanding the Building Blocks of the Language

Keywords are an essential part of any programming language, including C. These reserved words have a specific meaning within the language and cannot be used as identifiers or variable names. In this article, we will explore the keywords in C, their uses, and some examples of how they are used in code.

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Keywords in C

Keywords in C are reserved words that have specific meanings and cannot be used as identifiers. They are essential for the structure and functionality of the language.

List of Keywords in C:

Keyword	Description
auto	Declares automatic storage duration for variables.
break	Exits a loop or switch statement.
case	Used within a switch statement to specify a case.
char	Defines a character data type.
const	Declares a constant value.
continue	Skips the rest of the current iteration in a loop.
default	Used within a switch statement as the default case.
do	Used with while to create a do-while loop.
double	Defines a double-precision floating-point data type.
else	Used with if to specify the alternative code block.
enum	Defines an enumeration data type.
extern	Declares variables or functions defined externally.
float	Defines a single-precision floating-point data type.
for	Used to create a for loop.
goto	Used to jump to a labeled statement.
if	Used for conditional statements.
int	Defines an integer data type.
long	Defines a long integer data type.
register	Suggests to the compiler to store a variable in a register for faster access.
return	Returns a value from a function.
short	Defines a short integer data type.
signed	Defines a signed integer data type.
sizeof	Returns the size of a data type or variable.
static	Declares static storage duration for variables or functions.
struct	Defines a structure data type.
switch	Used for conditional branching based on a value.
typedef	Creates an alias for an existing data type.
union	Defines a union data type.
unsigned	Defines an unsigned integer data type.
void	Indicates no return type or a function that doesn't return a value.
volatile	Indicates that a variable's value can be changed by external factors.
while	Used to create a while loop.

Key Points:

• Keywords are reserved words and cannot be used as identifiers.
• They have specific meanings and functions within the C language.
• Understanding keywords is essential for writing correct and efficient C code.