In C++, an integer number preceded by the 0 digit is treated as which type of value?

In C++, an integer number that is preceded by the digit 0 is treated as an octal value. This means that any integer starting with a 0 is interpreted in base 8. The digits that are valid in octal representation are 0 through 7, so any octal integer can only use these digits. For example, the octal number 07 represents the decimal value 7, while 010 would represent the decimal value 8.

This system of prefixing with 0 to indicate octal values is a part of C and C++ syntax, allowing programmers to easily specify values in different numeral systems. Understanding this helps in performing operations and conversions correctly, particularly when dealing with bit manipulation or when interfacing with hardware that may require octal format.

The other numeral representations involve different prefixes: hexadecimal is denoted by 0x or 0X, and binary representation in C++ is indicated using the prefix 0b or 0B, while decimal values are simply written without any prefix. Knowing how these prefixes determine the interpretation of numeric literals is essential for proficient programming in C++.