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Literal (computer programming)
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<p>In <a href="/facts/Computer_science/lN3pEyPz">computer science</a>, a literal is a textual representation (notation) of a <a href="/facts/Value_(computer_science)/QgQPbewf">value</a> as it is written in <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a>. Almost all programming languages have notations for atomic values such as <a href="/facts/Integer_(computer_science)/zWabo5M9">integers</a>, <a href="/facts/Floating-point_number/eIckahxe">floating-point numbers</a>, and <a href="/facts/String_(computer_science)/4ChJu5WS">strings</a>, and usually for <a href="/facts/Boolean_data_type/0GWYLDoC">Booleans</a> and <a href="/facts/Character_(computing)/X2zKLFFB">characters</a>; some also have notations for <a href="/facts/Enumerated_type/oQITgIYb">elements of enumerated types</a> and compound values such as <a href="/facts/Array_data_structure/BKGvF8AM">arrays</a>, <a href="/facts/Record_(computer_science)/1fvSgenB">records</a>, and <a href="/facts/Object_(computer_science)/eX99dtAw">objects</a>. An <a href="/facts/Anonymous_function/2vdyE4zL">anonymous function</a> is a literal for the <a href="/facts/Function_type/CmbusBzk">function type</a>. </p><p>In contrast to literals, <a href="/facts/Variable_(programming)/VoCKtwml">variables</a> or <a href="/facts/Constant_(computer_science)/pVQqffen">constants</a> are symbols that can take on one of a class of fixed values, the constant being constrained not to change. Literals are often used to initialize variables; for example, in the following, 1 is an integer literal and the three letter string in "cat" is a string literal: </p> int a = 1; string s = "cat"; <p>In <a href="/facts/Lexical_analysis/T1JYWpIf">lexical analysis</a>, literals of a given type are generally a token type, with a grammar rule, like "a <a href="/facts/String_of_digits/1KKlG4nd">string of digits</a>" for an integer literal. Some literals are specific <a href="/facts/Keyword_(programming)/pHDlUUgY">keywords</a>, like true for the Boolean literal "true". </p><p>In some <a href="/facts/Object_(computer_science)/eX99dtAw">object</a>-oriented languages (like <a href="/facts/ECMAScript/M7nDHsB5">ECMAScript</a>), objects can also be represented by literals. Methods of this object can be specified in the object literal using <a href="/facts/Function_literals/2vdyE4zL">function literals</a>. The brace notation below, which is also used for array literals, is typical for object literals: </p> {"cat", "dog"} {name: "cat", length: 57}