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Type Conversion in C

type conversion in c

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110 views11 pages

Type Conversion in C

type conversion in c

Uploaded by

rajput.patial
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Type Conversion in C

Type conversion in C is the process of converting one data type to another.


The type conversion is only performed to those data types where conversion
is possible. Type conversion is performed by a compiler. In type conversion,
the destination data type can’t be smaller than the source data type. Type
conversion is done at compile time and it is also called widening conversion
because the destination data type can’t be smaller than the source data type.
There are two types of Conversion:

1. Implicit Type Conversion


Also known as ‘automatic type conversion’.

A. Done by the compiler on its own, without any external trigger from the user.

B. Generally takes place when in an expression more than one data type is
present. In such conditions type conversion (type promotion) takes place to
avoid loss of data.

C. All the data types of the variables are upgraded to the data type of the
variable with the largest data type.

bool -> char -> short int -> int ->


unsigned int -> long -> unsigned ->
long long -> float -> double -> long double

D. It is possible for implicit conversions to lose information, signs can be lost


(when signed is implicitly converted to unsigned), and overflow can occur
(when long is implicitly converted to float).

Occurrences of Implicit Type Conversion in C

Implicit type conversion is also called automatic type conversion. Some of its
few occurrences are mentioned below:

● Conversion Rank
● Conversions in Assignment Expressions
● Conversion in other Binary Expressions
● Promotion
● Demotion

Example of Type Implicit Conversion


Example no 1

​ C

// An example of implicit conversion

#include <stdio.h>

int main()

int x = 10; // integer x

char y = 'a'; // character c


// y implicitly converted to int.
ASCII

// value of 'a' is 97

x = x + y;

// x is implicitly converted to float

float z = x + 1.0;
printf("x = %d, z = %f", x, z);

return 0;

Output

x = 107, z = 108.000000

2. Explicit Type Conversion


This process is also called type casting and it is user-defined. Here the user
can typecast the result to make it of a particular data type. The syntax in C
Programming:

(type) expression

Type indicated the data type to which the final result is converted.

Example no 2

​ C

// C program to demonstrate explicit type


casting

#include<stdio.h>

int main()
{

double x = 1.2;

// Explicit conversion from double to int

int sum = (int)x + 1;

printf("sum = %d", sum);


return 0;

Output

sum = 2

Example no 3

​ C

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
float a = 1.5;

int b = (int)a;

printf("a = %f\n", a);

printf("b = %d\n", b);

return 0;

Output
a = 1.500000
b = 1

Advantages of Type Conversion

● Type safety: Type conversions can be used to ensure that data is


being stored and processed in the correct data type, avoiding
potential type mismatches and type errors.
● Improved code readability: By explicitly converting data between
different types, you can make the intent of your code clearer and
easier to understand.
● Improved performance: In some cases, type conversions can be
used to optimize the performance of your code by converting data to
a more efficient data type for processing.
● Improved compatibility: Type conversions can be used to convert
data between different types that are not compatible, allowing you to
write code that is compatible with a wider range of APIs and libraries.
● Improved data manipulation: Type conversions can be used to
manipulate data in various ways, such as converting an integer to a
string, converting a string to an integer, or converting a floating-point
number to an integer.
● Improved data storage: Type conversions can be used to store data
in a more compact form, such as converting a large integer value to
a smaller integer type, or converting a large floating-point value to a
smaller floating-point type.

Disadvantages of type conversions in C programming:


● Loss of precision: Converting data from a larger data type to a
smaller data type can result in loss of precision, as some of the data
may be truncated.
● Overflow or underflow: Converting data from a smaller data type to
a larger data type can result in overflow or underflow if the value
being converted is too large or too small for the new data type.
● Unexpected behavior: Type conversions can lead to unexpected
behavior, such as when converting between signed and unsigned
integer types, or when converting between floating-point and integer
types.
● Confusing syntax: Type conversions can have confusing syntax,
particularly when using typecast operators or type conversion
functions, making the code more difficult to read and understand.
● Increased complexity: Type conversions can increase the
complexity of your code, making it harder to debug and maintain.
● Slower performance: Type conversions can sometimes result in
slower performance, particularly when converting data between
complex data types, such as between structures and arrays.

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