What are identifiers in C language ?

In C programming, identifiers are user-defined names that represent various elements within a program, such as variables, functions, structures, unions, labels, and types. They serve as meaningful labels to distinguish different entities within the code.

Here are the key rules for creating valid identifiers in C:

• Must start with a letter (A-Z or a-z) or an underscore (_).
• Subsequent characters can be letters, digits (0-9), or underscores.
• Case-sensitive: age and Age are considered different identifiers.
• Cannot be reserved keywords: C has a set of reserved words with specific meanings that cannot be used as identifiers (e.g., int, float, if, else, while).

Best Practices for Choosing Identifiers:

• Meaningful names: Choose names that clearly convey the purpose of the element they represent, making code more readable and understandable.
• Descriptive names: Avoid overly short or cryptic names.
• Consistency: Maintain a consistent naming style throughout your code (e.g., camelCase or snake_case).
• Conventions: Adhere to common naming conventions in C, such as using lowercase for variables and functions, and uppercase for constants.

Examples of valid identifiers:

count   // Variable for counting
total_sum
calculateArea
isValid
_tempValue

Examples of invalid identifiers:

1stValue   // Cannot start with a digit
my-variable // Cannot contain hyphens
return     // Reserved keyword

• Identifiers are essential for organizing and structuring code.
• Using meaningful and consistent identifiers significantly improves code readability and maintainability.
• Adhering to C’s naming rules and conventions ensures code clarity and avoids potential errors.