What Is a Literal in Programming? Explained with Examples

In programming, a literal is a fixed value written directly into the source code. It represents constant data that is not stored in a variable but used as-is in the program.

Types of Literals

1. Integer Literal

   int x = 42;     // 42 is an integer literal
   

2. Floating-point Literal

   pi = 3.14       // 3.14 is a floating-point literal
   

3. Character Literal

   char grade = 'A';  // 'A' is a character literal
   

4. String Literal

   let name = "John"; // "John" is a string literal
   

5. Boolean Literal

   boolean isTrue = true;  // true is a boolean literal
   

Characteristics of Literals

• Directly written in the source code.
• Immutable (cannot be changed during program execution).
• Commonly used to initialize variables or form expressions.

Full Example

x = 10           # 10 is an integer literal
y = 3.14         # 3.14 is a floating-point literal
z = "Hello"      # "Hello" is a string literal
flag = True      # True is a boolean literal

Literal vs Variable

Literal	Variable
Fixed value	A storage for data
Cannot be changed	Value can be updated
Example: 42	Example: x = 42