Character datatype in C
The character data type in C, stores a single character within a single quotation mark and requires a single byte of memory in almost all compilers.
The char keyword in c is used to declare or define the character in C. It can hold alphabet, digits from 0 to 9 and special symbols and the format specifier for character is %c.
Read More: Data Types in Introduction
Let us understand this through a program :-
#include<stdio.h> #include<conio.h> int main() { char x='a', y='2', z='*'; printf("\n%c is an alphabet",x); printf("\n%c is a digit character",y); printf("\n%c is a special symbol character",z); getch(); return 0; }
The output of the following will be code :-
a is an alphabet 2 is a digit character * is a special symbol character
We can calculate size, limit of the char data type can hold in C using sizeof() operator and macros.
#include<stdio.h> #include<conio.h> #include<limits.h> int main() { printf("SIZE OF CHAR DATA TYPE IN BYTE : %d\n",sizeof(char)); printf("SIZE OF CHAR IN BITS : %d\n", CHAR_BIT); printf("CHAR DATA TYPE, MAXIMUM VALUE CAN HOLD : %d\n", CHAR_MAX); printf("CHAR DATA TYPE, MINIMUM VALUE CAN HOLD : %d\n", CHAR_MIN); getch(); return 0; }
Output of the following code :-
SIZE OF CHAR DATA TYPE IN BYTE : 1 SIZE OF CHAR IN BITS : 8 CHAR DATA TYPE, MAXIMUM VALUE CAN HOLD : 127 CHAR DATA TYPE, MINIMUM VALUE CAN HOLD : -128
The character can be divided into two types : signed char and unsigned char
| Type | range (limit) |
|---|---|
| signed char | -128 to 127 |
| unsigned char | 0 to 255 |