CS-114 Fundamentals of Programming

Number systems & Variables

Dr Ayesha Zeb
Email: [email protected]
Lecture Contents

• Number systems
• Variables and memory
• Types of variables
Review – A Basic Program
//EC 100 Algorithms and Computing
//A first program
//Hello World – displays “Hello
World!”
//on the screen

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
cout << "Hello, World!";
return 0;
}
Review – A Basic Program with Input/Output

//EC 100 Algorithms and string name;

Computing cout << "Please
//Simple Input Output enter your name" <<
//Modifying our program endl;
cin >> name;
#include <iostream> cout << "\n Hello
#include <string> "<<name<<endl;
return 0;
using namespace std; }

int main()
{
How are things stored in a computer?

• Remember: Computers – lots of small on, off switches

• These on off switches are called transistors
• Transistors are electronic devices
• On (1) or Off (0) , High and Low Voltages

Source: Mark Redekopp’s slides

Number Systems

• Humans use the decimal number system:

– Based on number 10
– 10 digits: [0-9]
• Computers use the binary number system:
– Based on number 2
– 2 digits: [0,1]
• Other number systems:
– Octal (base 8)
– Hexadecimal (base 16)
Bits and Bytes

• Computers use the binary number system

• A 1 or 0 is called a bit
• 8 bits make a byte

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
8 bits = 1 byte
Representing information in computers
string name;
cout << "Please enter your name" <<
endl;
cin >> name;
cout << "\n Hello "<<name<<endl;

Primary
Memory
Loader
Loader puts program
in memory.
Disk ..
[name here]
..
..

Primary
Memory CPU takes each
CPU instruction and
executes it, possibly
storing new data
..

john ..
..
values as the program
executes.
Representing Text

• Text characters are usually represented with some kind

of binary code mapping
• ‘a’ = 01100001 = 0x61
• ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange)
– an 8-bit code to represent text
• Unicode – a 16-bit code
• String – sequence of characters
Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char
0 00 32 20 64 40 @ 96 60 ` 128 80 € 160 A0 192 C0 À 224 E0 à
1 01 33 21 ! 65 41 A 97 61 a 129 81 161 A1 ¡ 193 C1 Á 225 E1 á
2 02 34 22 " 66 42 B 98 62 b 130 82 ‚ 162 A2 ¢ 194 C2 Â 226 E2 â
3 03 35 23 # 67 43 C 99 63 c 131 83 ƒ 163 A3 £ 195 C3 Ã 227 E3 ã
4 04 36 24 $ 68 44 D 100 64 d 132 84 „ 164 A4 ¤ 196 C4 Ä 228 E4 ä
5 05 37 25 % 69 45 E 101 65 e 133 85 … 165 A5 ¥ 197 C5 Å 229 E5 å
6 06 38 26 & 70 46 F 102 66 f 134 86 † 166 A6 ¦ 198 C6 Æ 230 E6 æ
7 07 39 27 ' 71 47 G 103 67 g 135 87 ‡ 167 A7 § 199 C7 Ç 231 E7 ç
8 08 40 28 ( 72 48 H 104 68 h 136 88 ˆ 168 A8 ¨ 200 C8 È 232 E8 è
9 09 41 29 ) 73 49 I 105 69 i 137 89 ‰ 169 A9 © 201 C9 É 233 E9 é
10 0A 42 2A * 74 4A J 106 6A j 138 8A Š 170 AA ª 202 CA Ê 234 EA ê
11 0B 43 2B + 75 4B K 107 6B k 139 8B ‹ 171 AB « 203 CB Ë 235 EB ë
12 0C 44 2C , 76 4C L 108 6C l 140 8C Œ 172 AC ¬ 204 CC Ì 236 EC ì
13 0D 45 2D - 77 4D M 109 6D m 141 8D 173 AD - 205 CD Í 237 ED í
14 0E 46 2E . 78 4E N 110 6E n 142 8E Ž 174 AE ® 206 CE Î 238 EE î
15 0F 47 2F / 79 4F O 111 6F o 143 8F 175 AF ¯ 207 CF Ï 239 EF ï
16 10 48 30 0 80 50 P 112 70 p 144 90 176 B0 ° 208 D0 Ð 240 F0 ð
17 11 49 31 1 81 51 Q 113 71 q 145 91 ‘ 177 B1 ± 209 D1 Ñ 241 F1 ñ
18 12 50 32 2 82 52 R 114 72 r 146 92 ’ 178 B2 ² 210 D2 Ò 242 F2 ò
19 13 51 33 3 83 53 S 115 73 s 147 93 “ 179 B3 ³ 211 D3 Ó 243 F3 ó
20 14 52 34 4 84 54 T 116 74 t 148 94 ” 180 B4 ´ 212 D4 Ô 244 F4 ô
21 15 53 35 5 85 55 U 117 75 u 149 95 • 181 B5 µ 213 D5 Õ 245 F5 õ
22 16 54 36 6 86 56 V 118 76 v 150 96 – 182 B6 ¶ 214 D6 Ö 246 F6 ö
23 17 55 37 7 87 57 W 119 77 w 151 97 — 183 B7 · 215 D7 × 247 F7 ÷
24 18 56 38 8 88 58 X 120 78 x 152 98 ˜ 184 B8 ¸ 216 D8 Ø 248 F8 ø
25 19 57 39 9 89 59 Y 121 79 y 153 99 ™ 185 B9 ¹ 217 D9 Ù 249 F9 ù
26 1A 58 3A : 90 5A Z 122 7A z 154 9A š 186 BA º 218 DA Ú 250 FA ú
27 1B 59 3B ; 91 5B [ 123 7B { 155 9B › 187 BB » 219 DB Û 251 FB û
28 1C 60 3C < 92 5C \ 124 7C | 156 9C œ 188 BC ¼ 220 DC Ü 252 FC ü
29 1D 61 3D = 93 5D ] 125 7D } 157 9D 189 BD ½ 221 DD Ý 253 FD ý
30 1E 62 3E > 94 5E ^ 126 7E ~ 158 9E ž 190 BE ¾ 222 DE Þ 254 FE þ
31 1F 63 3F ? 95 5F _ 127 7F • 159 9F Ÿ 191 BF ¿ 223 DF ß 255 FF ÿ
 Representing Different Types of information
Type Name Bytes Other Names Range of Values
int 4 signed –2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
unsigned int 4 unsigned 0 to 4,294,967,295
bool 1 none false or true
char 1 none –128 to 127 by default
signed char 1 none –128 to 127
unsigned char 1 none 0 to 255
short 2 short int, signed short int –32,768 to 32,767
unsigned short 2 unsigned short int 0 to 65,535
long 4 long int, signed long int –2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
unsigned long 4 unsigned long int 0 to 4,294,967,295
long long 8 none –9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to
9,223,372,036,854,775,807
unsigned long long 8 none 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615
38 38
float 4 none -1.0x10 to 1.0x10 (7 digits)
308 308
double 8 none -1.0x10 to 1.0x10 (15 digits)
Representing Different Types of Information

• Information – Data
• Two ways to represent numerical data
– signed (default)
– unsigned
• Signed data will have its sign (positive or negative) for its
MSB (most significant bit)
– Will this effect its range?
Representing Different Types of Information

• Information – Data
• Two ways to represent numerical data
– signed (default)
– unsigned
• Signed data will have its sign (positive or negative) for its
MSB (most significant bit)
– Its range will be reduced by half!
Representing Different Types of Information

• Information – Data
• Two ways to represent numerical data
– signed (default)
– unsigned
• Signed data will have its sign (positive or negative) for its
MSB (most significant bit)
– Its range will be reduced by half!
• Similarly unsigned data will not have a sign (it will always
be positive)
– Its range will be twice as much of signed!
 int main()
Variables {
int x = 1564983;
char c;
string name;
• Programs operate on cout << "Please enter
your name" << endl;
and produce data values ………
• Data values are stored }
in memory/RAM char c;
0 11010010
• ‘Variables’ are memory A single byte
variable 1 01001011
locations reserved to
2 10010000
store a piece of data of
3 11101010
specific size and type
int x = 4 01101000
1564983; 5 11010001
A four-byte 6 01101000
variable 7 11010001
8 00001110
… …..
1024 10101010
Variables

• Used to store information/data

• Data can be taken from the user
– cin>> name;
• Data can be decided by the programmer
– name = “Hello World!”;
Variables

• Variables have:
– Location – address in memory where they are located/stored
– Type
– Name/identifier – what the programmer uses to access that
memory location
• C++ variables are ‘typed’
– You must declare (tell the compiler that the variable exists)
before you use it
– Indicated what kind of information you will be storing
• int x = 5;
• float y = 0.5;
• int z = 2.3;
Variable Declaration

• A variable declaration
– Defines the name of the variable
– Defines the type of the variable (int, float, etc.)
– Gives the programmer a description of the variable
• Declaration format:
– type name; //comment

– Examples:
– int sum; //stores ‘sum’ in int type variable
– float answer; //stores ‘answer’ in float type variable
– char something;
– string name
Naming Variables

• A name/identifier in a C++ program

– Starts with a letter, contains letters, digits, and underscores
(only)
• x, number_of_elements, Fourier_transform, z2
• Not names:
– 12x
– time$to$market
– main line
• Do not start names with underscores: _foo
– those are reserved for implementation and systems entities
– Users can't define names that are taken as keywords
• E.g.:
– int
– if
– while
– double
Naming Variables

• Choose meaningful names

– Abbreviations and acronyms can confuse people
• mtbf, TLA, myw, nbv
– Short names can be meaningful
• (only) when used conventionally:
– x is a local variable
– i is a loop index
– Don't use overly long names
• Ok:
– partial_sum
element_count
staple_partition
• Too long:
– the_number_of_elements
remaining_free_slots_in_the_symbol_table
Variable Declaration

• Once the variable has been declared, it can be used in

assignment statements
• Sum = 2457 + 5363;
• Answer = 2.456+3.2;

– Note: Variables are case sensitive

 int main()
Variable Initialization {
int x = 1564983;
char c;
• Initialization: string name;
assigning/giving a value cout << "Please enter
your name" << endl;
to the variable for the ………
first time }

• Good to initialize char c; 0 11010010

variables A single byte variable, 1 01001011
not initialized, could be
• Garbage otherwise anything
2 10010000
3 11101010
4 01101000
int x = 1564983;
5 11010001
A four-byte variable
6 01101000
7 11010001
8 00001110
… …..
1024 10101010
Declaration and initialization
int a = 7;

int b = 9;
a: 7
char c = 'a';
b: 9
char a;
c: 'a'
double x = 1.2;
a: ### garbage
string s1 = "Hello, world";
x: 1.2

string s2 = "1.2";
s1 12 | "Hello, world"
:
s2: 3 | "1.2"
A Simple Program Using Variables
1 // Fig. 1.6: fig01_06.cpp Enter first integer
2 // Addition program. 45
3 #include <iostream> Enter second
4 integer
5 // function main begins program execution 72
6 int main() Sum is 117
7 {
8 int integer1; // first number to be input by user
9 int integer2; // second number to be input by user
10 int sum; // variable in which sum will be stored
11
12 std::cout << "Enter first integer\n"; // prompt
13 std::cin >> integer1; // read an integer
14
15 std::cout << "Enter second integer\n"; // prompt
16 std::cin >> integer2; // read an integer
17
18 sum = integer1 + integer2; // assign result to sum
19
20 std::cout << "Sum is " << sum << std::endl; // print sum
21
22 return 0; // indicate that program ended successfully
23
24 } // end function main © 2003 Prentice Hall, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Variables and Memory

std::cin >> integer1;

integer1 45
– Assume user entered 45

std::cin >> integer2; integer1 45

integer2 72
– Assume user entered 72

integer1 45
sum = integer1 + integer2; integer2 72
sum 117

2/10/2024
Variables and Memory

• Variable names such as a and sum actually correspond

to locations in the computer's memory.
• When a variable is declared, the compiler allocates a
memory location to that variable. Any further operation
on that variable takes place in that memory location.
• Every variable has a name, a type, a size and a value.
For example
int num1;
cin >> num1; // read first integer from user into num1
the characters typed by the user are converted to an integer that will
be placed into a memory location to which the variable number1 has
been assigned by the C++ compiler.
Memory

• Destructive Process
– Whenever a value is placed in a memory location it overwrites
the previous value in that location placing a new value into that
memory location.

• Nondestructive Process
– Whenever a value is read from a memory location, the value of
that variable in that memory location remains unchanged.
Memory

• For example
sum = num1 + num2;
// add the nums and store result in sum
– The values of ‘num1’ and ‘num2’ will be read out and used in the
calculation of sum. So it will be a nondestructive process.
– However, the result of the addition process will be stored in the
variable ‘sum’. So it will be a destructive process.
• Thus, it is always best to declare a variable as null or
zero.
When to use variables

• Saving values
• Reusing values
• Getting values from the user/at runtime
• Will the values change ?
• Making code more readable
Which Type?

Constant Type Right/Wrong

4.0 int
5 int
‘a’ string
“abc” string
5. double
5 char
“5.0” double
‘5’ int

Source: Mark Redekopp’s slides

Which Type?

Constant Type Right/Wrong

4.0 int double (.0)
5 int int
‘a’ string char
“abc” string string (char* or char[])
5. double float/double
5 char int but if you store 5 in
a char its okay
“5.0” double string
‘5’ int char
Summary

• By the end of this lecture, you should know

– how to write a basic program, declare variable and input/output
statements.
– the different number systems and their inter-conversions.
– The basic concept of what memory is and how it is used.
Acknowledgement/References
• Slides contents taken from Ma’am Fatima Faruq

• Deital and Deital, “C++ How to Program”, Latest Edition

• Stroustrup, “Programming – Principles and Practice

Using C++”, Latest Edition