What does the sizeof operator do in C?

What does the sizeof operator do in C?

• A. Returns the size of a variable in bits
• B. Returns the size in bytes of a data type or variable
• C. Returns the total number of elements in an array
• D. Returns the maximum value of a data type

Answer: (B)

The sizeof operator in C is used to determine the size, in bytes, of a data type or a variable. This size can vary depending on the data type as well as the architecture of the machine the program is running on. For instance, on a typical 32-bit architecture, the size of an int might be 4 bytes, while on a 64-bit architecture, it could be 8 bytes. When using sizeof on a specific variable, it provides the size needed to store that variable, which is essential for memory management and understanding how much memory your program will use. Moreover, it can also be applied to types directly, such as sizeof(int) or sizeof(double), allowing programmers to write clear and portable code by relying on the actual sizes defined by the compiler. Understanding this operator is crucial for tasks involving dynamic memory allocation, struct sizes, and more, making it a fundamental concept in the C programming language.

The sizeof operator in C is used to determine the size, in bytes, of a data type or a variable. This size can vary depending on the data type as well as the architecture of the machine the program is running on. For instance, on a typical 32-bit architecture, the size of an int might be 4 bytes, while on a 64-bit architecture, it could be 8 bytes.

When using sizeof on a specific variable, it provides the size needed to store that variable, which is essential for memory management and understanding how much memory your program will use. Moreover, it can also be applied to types directly, such as sizeof(int) or sizeof(double), allowing programmers to write clear and portable code by relying on the actual sizes defined by the compiler.

Understanding this operator is crucial for tasks involving dynamic memory allocation, struct sizes, and more, making it a fundamental concept in the C programming language.