assignment operator in c programming

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Assignment Operators in C

In C language, the assignment operator stores a certain value in an already declared variable. A variable in C can be assigned the value in the form of a literal, another variable, or an expression.

The value to be assigned forms the right-hand operand, whereas the variable to be assigned should be the operand to the left of the " = " symbol, which is defined as a simple assignment operator in C.

In addition, C has several augmented assignment operators.

The following table lists the assignment operators supported by the C language −

Simple Assignment Operator (=)

The = operator is one of the most frequently used operators in C. As per the ANSI C standard, all the variables must be declared in the beginning. Variable declaration after the first processing statement is not allowed.

You can declare a variable to be assigned a value later in the code, or you can initialize it at the time of declaration.

You can use a literal, another variable, or an expression in the assignment statement.

Once a variable of a certain type is declared, it cannot be assigned a value of any other type. In such a case the C compiler reports a type mismatch error.

In C, the expressions that refer to a memory location are called "lvalue" expressions. A lvalue may appear as either the left-hand or right-hand side of an assignment.

On the other hand, the term rvalue refers to a data value that is stored at some address in memory. A rvalue is an expression that cannot have a value assigned to it which means an rvalue may appear on the right-hand side but not on the left-hand side of an assignment.

Variables are lvalues and so they may appear on the left-hand side of an assignment. Numeric literals are rvalues and so they may not be assigned and cannot appear on the left-hand side. Take a look at the following valid and invalid statements −

Augmented Assignment Operators

In addition to the = operator, C allows you to combine arithmetic and bitwise operators with the = symbol to form augmented or compound assignment operator. The augmented operators offer a convenient shortcut for combining arithmetic or bitwise operation with assignment.

For example, the expression "a += b" has the same effect of performing "a + b" first and then assigning the result back to the variable "a".

Run the code and check its output −

Similarly, the expression "a <<= b" has the same effect of performing "a << b" first and then assigning the result back to the variable "a".

Here is a C program that demonstrates the use of assignment operators in C −

When you compile and execute the above program, it will produce the following result −

Assignment Operators in C

Assignment Operators in C Example

Home » Learn C Programming from Scratch » C Assignment Operators

C Assignment Operators

Summary : in this tutorial, you’ll learn about the C assignment operators and how to use them effectively.

Introduction to the C assignment operators

An assignment operator assigns the vale of the right-hand operand to the left-hand operand. The following example uses the assignment operator (=) to assign 1 to the counter variable:

After the assignmment, the counter variable holds the number 1.

The following example adds 1 to the counter and assign the result to the counter:

The = assignment operator is called a simple assignment operator. It assigns the value of the left operand to the right operand.

Besides the simple assignment operator, C supports compound assignment operators. A compound assignment operator performs the operation specified by the additional operator and then assigns the result to the left operand.

The following example uses a compound-assignment operator (+=):

The expression:

is equivalent to the following expression:

The following table illustrates the compound-assignment operators in C:

• A simple assignment operator assigns the value of the left operand to the right operand.
• A compound assignment operator performs the operation specified by the additional operator and then assigns the result to the left operand.

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1. Simple Assignment Operator (=)

Example of simple assignment operator.

2. Compound Assignment Operators

Example of Augmented Arithmetic and Assignment Operators

Example of Augmented Bitwise and Assignment Operators

Practice problems on assignment operators in c, 1. what will the value of "x" be after the execution of the following code, 2. after executing the following code, what is the value of the number variable, benefits of using assignment operators, best practices and tips for using the assignment operator, live classes schedule.

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C Assignment Operators

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An assignment operation assigns the value of the right-hand operand to the storage location named by the left-hand operand. Therefore, the left-hand operand of an assignment operation must be a modifiable l-value. After the assignment, an assignment expression has the value of the left operand but isn't an l-value.

assignment-expression :   conditional-expression   unary-expression assignment-operator assignment-expression

assignment-operator : one of   = *= /= %= += -= <<= >>= &= ^= |=

The assignment operators in C can both transform and assign values in a single operation. C provides the following assignment operators:

In assignment, the type of the right-hand value is converted to the type of the left-hand value, and the value is stored in the left operand after the assignment has taken place. The left operand must not be an array, a function, or a constant. The specific conversion path, which depends on the two types, is outlined in detail in Type Conversions .

• Assignment Operators

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Assignment and shorthand assignment operator in C

Quick links.

• Shorthand assignment

Assignment operator is used to assign value to a variable (memory location). There is a single assignment operator = in C. It evaluates expression on right side of = symbol and assigns evaluated value to left side the variable.

For example consider the below assignment table.

The RHS of assignment operator must be a constant, expression or variable. Whereas LHS must be a variable (valid memory location).

Shorthand assignment operator

C supports a short variant of assignment operator called compound assignment or shorthand assignment. Shorthand assignment operator combines one of the arithmetic or bitwise operators with assignment operator.

For example, consider following C statements.

The above expression a = a + 2 is equivalent to a += 2 .

Similarly, there are many shorthand assignment operators. Below is a list of shorthand assignment operators in C.

cppreference.com

Assignment operators.

Assignment and compound assignment operators are binary operators that modify the variable to their left using the value to their right.

[ edit ] Simple assignment

The simple assignment operator expressions have the form

Assignment performs implicit conversion from the value of rhs to the type of lhs and then replaces the value in the object designated by lhs with the converted value of rhs .

Assignment also returns the same value as what was stored in lhs (so that expressions such as a = b = c are possible). The value category of the assignment operator is non-lvalue (so that expressions such as ( a = b ) = c are invalid).

rhs and lhs must satisfy one of the following:

• both lhs and rhs have compatible struct or union type, or..
• rhs must be implicitly convertible to lhs , which implies
• both lhs and rhs have arithmetic types , in which case lhs may be volatile -qualified or atomic (since C11)
• both lhs and rhs have pointer to compatible (ignoring qualifiers) types, or one of the pointers is a pointer to void, and the conversion would not add qualifiers to the pointed-to type. lhs may be volatile or restrict (since C99) -qualified or atomic (since C11) .
• lhs is a (possibly qualified or atomic (since C11) ) pointer and rhs is a null pointer constant such as NULL or a nullptr_t value (since C23)

[ edit ] Notes

If rhs and lhs overlap in memory (e.g. they are members of the same union), the behavior is undefined unless the overlap is exact and the types are compatible .

Although arrays are not assignable, an array wrapped in a struct is assignable to another object of the same (or compatible) struct type.

The side effect of updating lhs is sequenced after the value computations, but not the side effects of lhs and rhs themselves and the evaluations of the operands are, as usual, unsequenced relative to each other (so the expressions such as i = ++ i ; are undefined)

Assignment strips extra range and precision from floating-point expressions (see FLT_EVAL_METHOD ).

In C++, assignment operators are lvalue expressions, not so in C.

[ edit ] Compound assignment

The compound assignment operator expressions have the form

The expression lhs @= rhs is exactly the same as lhs = lhs @ ( rhs ) , except that lhs is evaluated only once.

[ edit ] References

• C17 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2018):
• 6.5.16 Assignment operators (p: 72-73)
• C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011):
• 6.5.16 Assignment operators (p: 101-104)
• C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999):
• 6.5.16 Assignment operators (p: 91-93)
• C89/C90 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1990):
• 3.3.16 Assignment operators

[ edit ] See Also

Operator precedence

[ edit ] See also

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C Programming Tutorial

• Assignment Operator in C

Last updated on July 27, 2020

We have already used the assignment operator ( = ) several times before. Let's discuss it here in detail. The assignment operator ( = ) is used to assign a value to the variable. Its general format is as follows:

The operand on the left side of the assignment operator must be a variable and operand on the right-hand side must be a constant, variable or expression. Here are some examples:

The precedence of the assignment operator is lower than all the operators we have discussed so far and it associates from right to left.

We can also assign the same value to multiple variables at once.

here x , y and z are initialized to 100 .

Since the associativity of the assignment operator ( = ) is from right to left. The above expression is equivalent to the following:

Note that expressions like:

are called assignment expression. If we put a semicolon( ; ) at the end of the expression like this:

then the assignment expression becomes assignment statement.

Compound Assignment Operator #

Assignment operations that use the old value of a variable to compute its new value are called Compound Assignment.

Consider the following two statements:

Here the second statement adds 5 to the existing value of x . This value is then assigned back to x . Now, the new value of x is 105 .

To handle such operations more succinctly, C provides a special operator called Compound Assignment operator.

The general format of compound assignment operator is as follows:

where op can be any of the arithmetic operators ( + , - , * , / , % ). The above statement is functionally equivalent to the following:

Note : In addition to arithmetic operators, op can also be >> (right shift), << (left shift), | (Bitwise OR), & (Bitwise AND), ^ (Bitwise XOR). We haven't discussed these operators yet.

After evaluating the expression, the op operator is then applied to the result of the expression and the current value of the variable (on the RHS). The result of this operation is then assigned back to the variable (on the LHS). Let's take some examples: The statement:

is equivalent to x = x + 5; or x = x + (5); .

Similarly, the statement:

is equivalent to x = x * 2; or x = x * (2); .

Since, expression on the right side of op operator is evaluated first, the statement:

is equivalent to x = x * (y + 1) .

The precedence of compound assignment operators are same and they associate from right to left (see the precedence table ).

The following table lists some Compound assignment operators:

The following program demonstrates Compound assignment operators in action:

Expected Output:

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Assignment Operators in C

Assignment operators are used to assigning the result of an expression to a variable. Up to now, we have used the shorthand assignment operator “=”, which assigns the result of a right-hand expression to the left-hand variable. For example, in the expression x = y + z, the sum of y and z is assigned to x.

Another form of assignment operator is variable operator_symbol= expression ; which is equivalent to variable = variable operator_symbol expression;

We have the following different types of assignment and assignment short-hand operators.

Expected Output:

C Programming Assignment Operators

Key Highlights

• Assignment operators are used to assign values to variables in C programming.
• The simple assignment operator “=” assigns a value on the side to the variable on the left side.
• Compound operators like “+=” and “-=” perform operation and then assign the result the variable.
• Assignment operators have lower precedence than other operators in C.
• Understanding assignment operators is crucial for manipulating variables and performing calculations in C.

Introduction

In C programming, assignment operators assign values to variables. Programmers use “=” for this. The left side is a variable, the right side a value or expression.

The “=” operator in C assigns the right value to the left variable. For instance, “x = 5;” sets x as 5.

C also has compound assignment operators like “+=” that combine an operation and assignment. These operators calculate using both sides and assign the result to the left variable.

Knowing assignment operators is crucial for variable manipulation in C programming. Different operators help streamline code and assign values effectively.

Exploring C Programming Assignment Operators

Assignment operators in C are used to give values to variables. These operators modify variable values in expressions. C has various assignment operators, such as “=”, “+=”, “-=”, “*=”, “/=”, “%=”, “<<=”, “>>=”, “&=”, “|=”, and “^=”. They help efficiently assign and change values. These operators work with various data types and can do arithmetic and bitwise operations during assignment.

1. Simple Assignment Operator (=)

The basic “=” operator in C programming assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left. In an example like int x = 5; , 5 goes to variable x using “=” operator. The variable x then holds the value 5. This operator suits integers, floats, characters, and custom data types but requires matching data types. If not matched, an error occurs. It’s often used to set or change values in programs.

2. Addition Assignment Operator (+=)

The addition assignment operator “+=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming. It combines the addition operation with the assignment operation. It adds the value on the right side to the current value of the variable on the left side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

For example:

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 5. The addition assignment operator adds the value 3 to the current value of x, resulting in x being updated to 8.

The addition assignment operator can be used with different data types, such as integers, floats, and characters. It provides a concise way to perform addition and assignment in a single statement. It is particularly useful when updating variables in loops or incrementing/decrementing variables.

3. Subtraction Assignment Operator (-=)

The subtraction assignment operator “-=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming . It combines the subtraction operation with the assignment operation. It subtracts the value on the right side from the current value of the variable on the left side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 10. The subtraction assignment operator subtracts the value 3 from the current value of x, resulting in x being updated to 7.

The subtraction assignment operator is commonly used to decrement variables by a specific value. It provides a concise way to perform subtraction and assignment in a single statement.

4. Multiplication Assignment Operator (*=)

The multiplication assignment operator “*=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming . It combines the multiplication operation with the assignment operation. It multiplies the value on the right side with the current value of the variable on the left side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 5. The multiplication assignment operator multiplies the value 2 with the current value of x, resulting in x being updated to 10.

The multiplication assignment operator is commonly used to multiply variables by a specific value. It provides a concise way to perform multiplication and assignment in a single statement.

5. Division Assignment Operator (/=)

The division assignment operator “/=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming. It combines the division operation with the assignment operation. It divides the current value of the variable on the left side by the value on the right side and assigns the quotient back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 10. The division assignment operator divides the current value of x by the value 3, resulting in x being updated to 3.

The division assignment operator performs integer division, which means it discards the remainder. If you want to obtain the remainder, you can use the modulus assignment operator (%=).

The division assignment operator is commonly used to divide variables by a specific value. It provides a concise way to perform division and assignment in a single statement.

6. Modulus Assignment Operator (%=)

The modulus assignment operator “%=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming . It combines the modulus operation with the assignment operation.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 10. The modulus assignment operator divides the current value of x by the value 3 and assigns the remainder (1) back to x.

The modulus assignment operator is commonly used to obtain the remainder of division. It provides a concise way to perform modulus operation and assignment in a single statement.

7. Left Shift Assignment Operator (<<=)

The left shift assignment operator “<<=” is a compound assignment operator in C . It combines the left shift operation with the assignment operation. It shifts the bits of the variable on the left side to the left by the number of positions specified by the value on the right side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 10. The left shift assignment operator shifts the bits of x to the left by 2 positions, resulting in x being updated to 40.

The left shift assignment operator is commonly used in bitwise operations to manipulate individual bits of a variable. It provides a concise way to perform left shift operation and assignment in a single statement.

8. Right Shift Assignment Operator (>>=)

The right shift assignment operator “>>=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming. It combines the right shift operation with the assignment operation. It shifts the bits of the variable on the left side to the right by the number of positions specified by the value on the right side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 10. The right shift assignment operator shifts the bits of x to the right by 2 positions, resulting in x being updated to 2.

The right shift assignment operator is commonly used in bitwise operations to manipulate individual bits of a variable. It provides a concise way to perform right shift operation and assignment in a single statement.

9. Bitwise AND Assignment Operator (&=)

The bitwise AND assignment operator “&=” is a compound assignment operator . It combines the bitwise AND operation with the assignment operation. It performs a bitwise AND operation between the variable on the left side and the value on the right side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 5. The bitwise AND assignment operator performs a bitwise AND operation between x and 3, resulting in x being updated to 1.

The bitwise AND assignment operator is commonly used in bitwise operations to perform logical AND operations on individual bits of a variable. It provides a concise way to perform bitwise AND operation and assignment in a single statement.

10. Bitwise OR Assignment Operator (|=)

The bitwise OR assignment operator “|=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming. It combines the bitwise OR operation with the assignment operation. It performs a bitwise OR operation between the variable on the left side and the value on the right side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 5. The bitwise OR assignment operator performs a bitwise OR operation between x and 3, resulting in x being updated to 7.

The bitwise OR assignment operator is commonly used in bitwise operations to perform logical OR operations on individual bits of a variable. It provides a concise way to perform bitwise OR operation and assignment in a single statement.

11. Bitwise XOR Assignment Operator (^=)

The bitwise XOR assignment operator “^=” is a compound assignment operator in C programming. It combines the bitwise XOR operation with the assignment operation. It performs a bitwise XOR operation between the variable on the left side and the value on the right side and assigns the result back to the variable on the left side.

In the above example, the current value of the variable x is 5. The bitwise XOR assignment operator performs a bitwise XOR operation between x and 3, resulting in x being updated to 6.

The bitwise XOR assignment operator is commonly used in bitwise operations to perform logical XOR operations on individual bits of a variable. It provides a concise way to perform bitwise XOR operation and assignment in a single statement.

Understanding the Use of Assignment Operators in C

Assignment operators are an important part of the C programming language. They allow programmers to assign values to variables and modify variable values efficiently. By using assignment operators, programmers can write concise and readable code. Assignment operators also play a role in improving code efficiency, as they allow for the execution of multiple operations in a single statement. Understanding the use of assignment operators in C is crucial for writing efficient and readable code.

How Assignment Operators Enhance Code Readability

Assignment operators enhance code readability in C programming. By using assignment operators, programmers can write concise and self-explanatory code. Instead of writing multiple lines of code to assign values to variables, assignment operators allow for the execution of assignment and operation in a single statement. This reduces the number of lines of code and makes the code more readable. Assignment operators also make the code more maintainable, as the intent of the code is clear and the logic is easier to understand. Overall, assignment operators improve code readability and make the code more efficient and concise.

The Efficiency of Using Compound Assignment Operators

Using compound assignment operators in C programming can improve code efficiency. Compound assignment operators combine an operation with the assignment operation, allowing for the execution of multiple operations in a single statement. This reduces the number of lines of code and improves code efficiency. By using compound assignment operators, programmers can write more concise code and reduce the execution time of the program. Additionally, compound assignment operators make the code more readable and maintainable, as the intent of the code is clear and the logic is easier to understand. Overall, using compound assignment operators enhances code efficiency and improves the overall performance of the program.

Practical Examples of Assignment Operators in C Programming

Practical examples of assignment operators in C programming can help illustrate their usage and benefits. These examples demonstrate how assignment operators can be used to assign values to variables, perform arithmetic operations, and update variable values. By applying assignment operators in real-world scenarios, programmers can understand their practical applications and improve their understanding of C programming concepts. Practical examples also provide hands-on experience and reinforce the knowledge gained from studying the theory of assignment operators. Let’s explore some practical examples to illustrate the use of assignment operators in C programming.

Example Demonstrating Simple Assignment Operator

Here is an example that demonstrates the use of the simple assignment operator in C programming:

In this example, we declare a variable x of the type int. We then assign the value 5 to x using the simple assignment operator “=”.

The printf() function is used to display the value of x on the console. The output of this program will be “The value of x is 5”.

This example showcases how the simple assignment operator can be used to assign a value to a variable in C programming. It demonstrates the basic usage and functionality of the assignment operator.

Implementing Compound Assignment Operators in Loops

Compound assignment operators can be particularly useful when used in loops in C programming. They can simplify and optimize code by combining assignment and operation in a single statement. Here is an example demonstrating the implementation of compound assignment operators in loops:

In this example, we use the compound assignment operator “+=” to calculate the sum of numbers from 1 to 10. The loop iterates from 1 to 10, and in each iteration, the value of i is added to the variable sum using the “+=” operator.

The printf() function is used to display the sum of the numbers from 1 to 10 on the console. The output of this program will be “The sum of numbers from 1 to 10 is 55”.

This example demonstrates how compound assignment operators can simplify code and perform calculations efficiently in loops.

In essence, mastering C programming assignment operators is fundamental for code efficiency and readability. Understanding the nuances of simple (=) to complex bitwise XOR (^=) operators is key to optimizing your code. By implementing compound assignment operators effectively, you streamline your programming process and enhance code comprehension. Explore practical examples and frequently asked questions to solidify your grasp on these operators. Embrace the power of assignment operators in C programming to elevate your coding skills to new heights effortlessly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between = and == in c.

The “=” operator is the simple assignment operator in C, used to assign a value to a variable. On the other hand, the “==” operator is the equality operator in C, used to compare two values for equality. While “=” assigns a value to a variable, “==” tests whether two values are equal. For example, “x = 5;” assigns the value 5 to the variable x, while “if (x == 5)” tests whether the value of x is equal to 5.

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Assignment operator in c.

Last Updated on June 23, 2023 by Prepbytes

This type of operator is employed for transforming and assigning values to variables within an operation. In an assignment operation, the right side represents a value, while the left side corresponds to a variable. It is essential that the value on the right side has the same data type as the variable on the left side. If this requirement is not fulfilled, the compiler will issue an error.

What is Assignment Operator in C language?

In C, the assignment operator serves the purpose of assigning a value to a variable. It is denoted by the equals sign (=) and plays a vital role in storing data within variables for further utilization in code. When using the assignment operator, the value present on the right-hand side is assigned to the variable on the left-hand side. This fundamental operation allows developers to store and manipulate data effectively throughout their programs.

Example of Assignment Operator in C

For example, consider the following line of code:

Types of Assignment Operators in C

Here is a list of the assignment operators that you can find in the C language:

Simple assignment operator (=): This is the basic assignment operator, which assigns the value on the right-hand side to the variable on the left-hand side.

Addition assignment operator (+=): This operator adds the value on the right-hand side to the variable on the left-hand side and assigns the result back to the variable.

x += 3; // Equivalent to x = x + 3; (adds 3 to the current value of "x" and assigns the result back to "x")

Subtraction assignment operator (-=): This operator subtracts the value on the right-hand side from the variable on the left-hand side and assigns the result back to the variable.

x -= 4; // Equivalent to x = x – 4; (subtracts 4 from the current value of "x" and assigns the result back to "x")

* Multiplication assignment operator ( =):** This operator multiplies the value on the right-hand side with the variable on the left-hand side and assigns the result back to the variable.

x = 2; // Equivalent to x = x 2; (multiplies the current value of "x" by 2 and assigns the result back to "x")

Division assignment operator (/=): This operator divides the variable on the left-hand side by the value on the right-hand side and assigns the result back to the variable.

x /= 2; // Equivalent to x = x / 2; (divides the current value of "x" by 2 and assigns the result back to "x")

Bitwise AND assignment (&=): The bitwise AND assignment operator "&=" performs a bitwise AND operation between the value on the left-hand side and the value on the right-hand side. It then assigns the result back to the left-hand side variable.

x &= 3; // Binary: 0011 // After bitwise AND assignment: x = 1 (Binary: 0001)

Bitwise OR assignment (|=): The bitwise OR assignment operator "|=" performs a bitwise OR operation between the value on the left-hand side and the value on the right-hand side. It then assigns the result back to the left-hand side variable.

x |= 3; // Binary: 0011 // After bitwise OR assignment: x = 7 (Binary: 0111)

Bitwise XOR assignment (^=): The bitwise XOR assignment operator "^=" performs a bitwise XOR operation between the value on the left-hand side and the value on the right-hand side. It then assigns the result back to the left-hand side variable.

x ^= 3; // Binary: 0011 // After bitwise XOR assignment: x = 6 (Binary: 0110)

Left shift assignment (<<=): The left shift assignment operator "<<=" shifts the bits of the value on the left-hand side to the left by the number of positions specified by the value on the right-hand side. It then assigns the result back to the left-hand side variable.

x <<= 2; // Binary: 010100 (Shifted left by 2 positions) // After left shift assignment: x = 20 (Binary: 10100)

Right shift assignment (>>=): The right shift assignment operator ">>=" shifts the bits of the value on the left-hand side to the right by the number of positions specified by the value on the right-hand side. It then assigns the result back to the left-hand side variable.

x >>= 2; // Binary: 101 (Shifted right by 2 positions) // After right shift assignment: x = 5 (Binary: 101)

Conclusion The assignment operator in C, denoted by the equals sign (=), is used to assign a value to a variable. It is a fundamental operation that allows programmers to store data in variables for further use in their code. In addition to the simple assignment operator, C provides compound assignment operators that combine arithmetic or bitwise operations with assignment, allowing for concise and efficient code.

FAQs related to Assignment Operator in C

Q1. Can I assign a value of one data type to a variable of another data type? In most cases, assigning a value of one data type to a variable of another data type will result in a warning or error from the compiler. It is generally recommended to assign values of compatible data types to variables.

Q2. What is the difference between the assignment operator (=) and the comparison operator (==)? The assignment operator (=) is used to assign a value to a variable, while the comparison operator (==) is used to check if two values are equal. It is important not to confuse these two operators.

Q3. Can I use multiple assignment operators in a single statement? No, it is not possible to use multiple assignment operators in a single statement. Each assignment operator should be used separately for assigning values to different variables.

Q4. Are there any limitations on the right-hand side value of the assignment operator? The right-hand side value of the assignment operator should be compatible with the data type of the left-hand side variable. If the data types are not compatible, it may lead to unexpected behavior or compiler errors.

Q5. Can I assign the result of an expression to a variable using the assignment operator? Yes, it is possible to assign the result of an expression to a variable using the assignment operator. For example, x = y + z; assigns the sum of y and z to the variable x.

Q6. What happens if I assign a value to an uninitialized variable? Assigning a value to an uninitialized variable will initialize it with the assigned value. However, it is considered good practice to explicitly initialize variables before using them to avoid potential bugs or unintended behavior.

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Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.

In the example below, we use the + operator to add together two values:

Although the + operator is often used to add together two values, like in the example above, it can also be used to add together a variable and a value, or a variable and another variable:

C divides the operators into the following groups:

• Arithmetic operators
• Assignment operators
• Comparison operators
• Logical operators
• Bitwise operators

Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators are used to perform common mathematical operations.

Assignment Operators

Assignment operators are used to assign values to variables.

In the example below, we use the assignment operator ( = ) to assign the value 10 to a variable called x :

The addition assignment operator ( += ) adds a value to a variable:

A list of all assignment operators:

Comparison Operators

Comparison operators are used to compare two values (or variables). This is important in programming, because it helps us to find answers and make decisions.

The return value of a comparison is either 1 or 0 , which means true ( 1 ) or false ( 0 ). These values are known as Boolean values , and you will learn more about them in the Booleans and If..Else chapter.

Comparison operators are used to compare two values.

Note: The return value of a comparison is either true ( 1 ) or false ( 0 ).

In the following example, we use the greater than operator ( > ) to find out if 5 is greater than 3:

A list of all comparison operators:

Logical Operators

You can also test for true or false values with logical operators.

Logical operators are used to determine the logic between variables or values, by combining multiple conditions:

C Exercises

Test yourself with exercises.

Fill in the blanks to multiply 10 with 5 , and print the result:

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Assignment Operator in C

Using assignment operators, we can assign value to the variables.

Equality sign (=) is used as an assignment operator in C.

Here, value 5 has assigned to the variable var.

Here, value of a has assigned to the variable b . Now, both a and b will hold value 10 .

Basically, the value of right-side operand will be assigned to the left side operand.

Pictorial Explanation

Compound assignment operators

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What is the difference between += and =+ C assignment operators [duplicate]

I was wondering if there was a difference between =+ and += (and other assignment operators too). I tried and both did the same thing. So is there a difference or is there a convention? Do both work because my compilers dont check for standarts?

Edit: I made a mistake. I used bad inputs during my testing which led me to thinking they are both doing the same thing. Turns out they are two different things.

+= adds rvalue to lvalue

=+ assigns rvalue to lvalue

• assignment-operator
• compound-assignment

• 16 There is no =+ operator in C. –  Eugene Sh. Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 15:07
• 6 I works as two different operators. Assignment and unary + . –  Eugene Sh. Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 15:08
• 9 @EugeneSh.: strictly, there is no longer a =+ operator in C. It ceased to be a part of C in the mid-70s. Note that =+ , =- , =& can both appear in modern C — even =* if the term following is a pointer. Most of the others can't. However, the meaning is of the two separate operators; the fact that they're touching is immaterial. –  Jonathan Leffler Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 15:13
• 2 If you have: int main(void) { int i = 2, j = 3; i =+ j; printf("%d\n", i); return 0; } , do you get 3 or 5 printed? Standard C says it should be 3. Even I've never worked with a compiler that gives a different result — the change from the original =+ to += occurred years before I started coding in C. –  Jonathan Leffler Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 15:16
• 1 @SunggukLim: There's nothing surprising about that. =+ is two operators, = and + . See my answer for details. –  Keith Thompson Commented May 31, 2018 at 17:48

In modern C, or even moderately ancient C, += is a compound assignment operator, and =+ is parsed as two separate tokens. = and + . Punctuation tokens are allowed to be adjacent.

So if you write:

it's equivalent to

except that x is only evaluated once (which can matter if it's a more complicated expression).

If you write:

then it's parsed as

and the + is a unary plus operator.

Very early versions of C (around the mid 1970s, before the publication of K&R1 in 1978) used different symbols for compound assignments. Where modern C uses += , early C used =+ . Early C had no unary + operator, but it did have a unary - operator, and the use of =- caused problems; programmers would write x=-y intending it to mean x = -y , but it was silently interpreted as x =- y . The language was changed some time between 1975 and 1978 to avoid that problem. As late as 1999, I worked with a compiler (VAXC on VMS) that would warn about an ambiguous use of =- , but would use the older meaning. That shouldn't be a concern now unless you're a hobbyist playing with some very old software and/or hardware.

(A 1975 C Reference Manual shows the old =- , =+ , et al forms of the compound assignment operators. The first edition of The C Programming Language by Kernighan and Ritchie, published in 1978, shows the modern -= , += , et al, but mentions the older forms under "Anachronisms".)

• 2 To this day I still put a space after the = so a = -7; is not misinterpreted as a -= 7; . –  chux - Reinstate Monica Commented Mar 28, 2020 at 22:48
• 1 @chux-ReinstateMonica So do I, but only because I find it more legible. –  Keith Thompson Commented Mar 28, 2020 at 23:16

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged c assignment-operator compound-assignment or ask your own question .

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What is the difference between = (Assignment) and == (Equal to) operators in C?

Difference between assignment (=) vs equal to (==) operators in c.

Many times this question arises what is the difference between = and == operators in C programming language? Here we are going to tell you exactly what the differences between these two operators are.

Assignment Operator (=)

= is an Assignment Operator in C, C++ and other programming languages, It is Binary Operator which operates on two operands.

= assigns the value of right side expression’s or variable’s value to the left side variable.

Let's understand by example:

Here, When first expression evaluates value of (a+b) will be assigned into x and in second expression y=x; value of variable x will be assigned into y .

Equal To Operator (==)

== is an Equal To Operator in C and C++ only, It is Binary Operator which operates on two operands.

== compares value of left and side expressions, return 1 if they are equal other will it will return 0.

When expression x==y evaluates, it will return 1 (it means condition is TRUE ) and "TRUE" will print.

So it's cleared now, , both are not same , = is an Assignment Operator it is used to assign the value of variable or expression, while == is an Equal to Operator and it is a relation operator used for comparison (to compare value of both left and right side operands).

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C - Bitwise OR and assignment operator

The Bitwise OR and assignment operator (|=) assigns the first operand a value equal to the result of Bitwise OR operation of two operands.

(x |= y) is equivalent to (x = x | y)

The Bitwise OR operator (|) is a binary operator which takes two bit patterns of equal length and performs the logical OR operation on each pair of corresponding bits. It returns 1 if either or both bits at the same position are 1, else returns 0.

The example below describes how bitwise OR operator works:

The code of using Bitwise OR operator (|) is given below:

The output of the above code will be:

Example: Find largest power of 2 less than or equal to given number

Consider an integer 1000. In the bit-wise format, it can be written as 1111101000. However, all bits are not written here. A complete representation will be 32 bit representation as given below:

Performing N |= (N>>i) operation, where i = 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 will change all right side bit to 1. When applied on 1000, the result in 32 bit representation is given below:

Adding one to this result and then right shifting the result by one place will give largest power of 2 less than or equal to 1000.

The below code will calculate the largest power of 2 less than or equal to given number.

The above code will give the following output:

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Assignment Operators In C++

In C++, the assignment operator forms the backbone of many algorithms and computational processes by performing a simple operation like assigning a value to a variable. It is denoted by equal sign ( = ) and provides one of the most basic operations in any programming language that is used to assign some value to the variables in C++ or in other words, it is used to store some kind of information.

The right-hand side value will be assigned to the variable on the left-hand side. The variable and the value should be of the same data type.

The value can be a literal or another variable of the same data type.

Compound Assignment Operators

In C++, the assignment operator can be combined into a single operator with some other operators to perform a combination of two operations in one single statement. These operators are called Compound Assignment Operators. There are 10 compound assignment operators in C++:

• Addition Assignment Operator ( += )
• Subtraction Assignment Operator ( -= )
• Multiplication Assignment Operator ( *= )
• Division Assignment Operator ( /= )
• Modulus Assignment Operator ( %= )
• Bitwise AND Assignment Operator ( &= )
• Bitwise OR Assignment Operator ( |= )
• Bitwise XOR Assignment Operator ( ^= )
• Left Shift Assignment Operator ( <<= )
• Right Shift Assignment Operator ( >>= )

Lets see each of them in detail.

1. Addition Assignment Operator (+=)

In C++, the addition assignment operator (+=) combines the addition operation with the variable assignment allowing you to increment the value of variable by a specified expression in a concise and efficient way.

This above expression is equivalent to the expression:

2. Subtraction Assignment Operator (-=)

The subtraction assignment operator (-=) in C++ enables you to update the value of the variable by subtracting another value from it. This operator is especially useful when you need to perform subtraction and store the result back in the same variable.

3. Multiplication Assignment Operator (*=)

In C++, the multiplication assignment operator (*=) is used to update the value of the variable by multiplying it with another value.

4. Division Assignment Operator (/=)

The division assignment operator divides the variable on the left by the value on the right and assigns the result to the variable on the left.

5. Modulus Assignment Operator (%=)

The modulus assignment operator calculates the remainder when the variable on the left is divided by the value or variable on the right and assigns the result to the variable on the left.

6. Bitwise AND Assignment Operator (&=)

This operator performs a bitwise AND between the variable on the left and the value on the right and assigns the result to the variable on the left.

7. Bitwise OR Assignment Operator (|=)

The bitwise OR assignment operator performs a bitwise OR between the variable on the left and the value or variable on the right and assigns the result to the variable on the left.

8. Bitwise XOR Assignment Operator (^=)

The bitwise XOR assignment operator performs a bitwise XOR between the variable on the left and the value or variable on the right and assigns the result to the variable on the left.

9. Left Shift Assignment Operator (<<=)

The left shift assignment operator shifts the bits of the variable on the left to left by the number of positions specified on the right and assigns the result to the variable on the left.

10. Right Shift Assignment Operator (>>=)

The right shift assignment operator shifts the bits of the variable on the left to the right by a number of positions specified on the right and assigns the result to the variable on the left.

Also, it is important to note that all of the above operators can be overloaded for custom operations with user-defined data types to perform the operations we want.

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