Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
Variable initialization is the process of assigning an initial value to a variable when it is declared. It ensures that the variable has a valid starting value before it is used in the program.
A data type defines the kind of values that can be stored in a variable. For example, int represents integers, and double represents floating-point numbers.
Declaration: Declaration refers to creating a new variable by specifying its data type and name.