Definition
To assign an initial value to a variable.
Characteristics
- Initialisation does not imply that the value cannot change later
- In languages without a separate declaration step (e.g., Python), initialisation is the moment a variable comes into existence
- In languages like C, C++, and Java, initialisation may happen either after declaration or at the point of declaration
Examples
- Initialising a variable (Python):
x = 5 - Initialising a variable after declaration (C):
int x; // declaration
x = 5; // initialisation- Initialising a variable at the point of declaration (C):
int x = 5;
Non-examples
- Declaring a variable (C):
int x; - Declaring a variable (JavaScript):
let x; - Reassigning a variable (Python):
x = 5 # initialisation
x = 10 # reassignment- Instantiating an object (Python):
r = Person("Rory") - Instantiating an object (Java):
Person f = new Person("Fife")