Rules for Constructing Real Constants in C
In the C programming language, there are a few rules to follow when constructing real constants:
- Real constants must contain a decimal point or an exponent. For example, “3.14” and “3e2” are both valid real constants, but “3” is not.
- Real constants may be written in either decimal or exponential notation. For example, “3.14” and “314e-2” are both equivalent and represent the same value.
- Real constants may be written in either float or double precision. Float precision constants end with the letter “f” or “F”, while double precision constants do not. For example, “3.14f” is a float precision constant and “3.14” is a double precision constant
- Real constants may include an optional plus or minus sign. For example, “-3.14” and “+3.14” are both valid real constants.
- Real constants may not include any commas or other punctuation, except for the decimal point and the optional exponent. For example, “3,14” is not a valid real constant
- When using exponential notation, the exponent must be an integer. For example, “3.14e2.5” is not a valid real constant.
- The maximum and minimum values for float and double precision real constants are platform-dependent and can be found in the <float.h> and <limits.h> header files, respectively.
It’s important to note that real constants are not the same as variables or expressions. They are simply literal values that are written directly into the source code of a program.
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