HomeDevelopment

Literal

Webopedia Staff
Webopedia Staff
Updated on:
In programming, a value written exactly as it’s meant to be interpreted. In contrast, a variable is a name that can represent different values during the execution of the program. And a constant is a name that represents the same value throughout a program. But a literal is not a name — it is the value itself.

A literal can be a number, a character, or a string. For example, in the expression,

x = 3

x is a variable, and 3 is a literal.

Webopedia Staff
Webopedia Staff
Since 1995, more than 100 tech experts and researchers have kept Webopedia’s definitions, articles, and study guides up to date. For more information on current editorial staff, please visit our About page.

Related Articles

Human Resources Management System

Development Vangie Beal - 0
A Human Resources Management System (HRMS) is a software application that supports many functions of a company's Human Resources department, including benefits administration, payroll,...

How To Defend Yourself Against Identity Theft

Security Vangie Beal - 0
Almost every worldwide government agency responsible for identity theft issues will tell you the same thing: The first step to fighting identity theft is...

Infographic

Design Abby Braden - 0
An infographic is a visual representation of information or data. It combines the words information and graphic and includes a collection of imagery, charts,...

Phishing

Security Vangie Beal - 0
What is phishing? Phishing is a type of cybercrime in which victims are contacted by email, telephone, or text message by an attacker posing as...

Related Articles

Definitions

ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting is a leading managed hosting provider that offers secure, scalable, and affordable...
Read more
Development

HRIS

Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their...
Read more
Definitions

Best Managed Service Providers...

In today's business world, managed services are more critical than ever. They can...
Read more

Webopedia is an online information technology and computer science resource for IT professionals, students, and educators. Webopedia focuses on connecting researchers with IT resources that are most helpful for them. Webopedia resources cover technology definitions, educational guides, and software reviews that are accessible to all researchers regardless of technical background.

Advertisers

Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on Webopedia and our other IT-focused platforms.

Advertise with Us

Menu

Our Brands

Property of TechnologyAdvice.
© 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.