Why ampersand is used in scanf not printf?

scanf requires address of the arg to be initialized , so & is used. printf doesn’t requires it , so we simply pass the variable. Because in scanf function memory location is required to store the value.

Why ampersand is not used in printf?

Why is an ampersand not used in printf()? – Quora. The & is a operator, which resolves to “address of the variable”, so the scan function gets the address (or pointer) to write the result. The \% is a formatting prefix in the print function. It is like a flag signaling that now special characters are coming.

Why do we use ampersand in scanf in C?

scanf requires format placeholders within the format string to denote what data type we would like the input to be read as by the computer. The ampersand (&) allows us to pass the address of variable number which is the place in memory where we store the information that scanf read.

Can we use ampersand in printf in C?

in the printf it works. Why is that? It also differs between the format specifier, such as one doesn’t need to put & (ampersand) sign in printf when one uses \%c or \%d in the scanf .

What happens if I dont use & in scanf?

You are passing an integer which can be interpreted as the address of some integer but it’s not. This doesn’t have a defined behavior in the standard. It will compile indeed (will issue some warning however) but it will certainly work in an unexpected way.

Why & is not used in string array in scanf?

In case of a string (character array), the variable itself points to the first element of the array in question. Thus, there is no need to use the ‘&’ operator to pass the address.

Do we always need an & in scanf justify?

Because it needs the address to place the value it reads. If you declare you variable as a pointer, the scanf will not need the & .

Why ampersand is not used in string?

Can the IF function be used in comparing strings?

If the function returns a true value, the statements belonging to if are run. You know whether a function returns a true or false value by reading the function’s documentation, or you can set a true or false return value when writing your own functions. You cannot compare strings by using an if comparison.

What will happen if we don’t use the & in the scanf function?

The program will compile successfully. It will print the number incorrectly but it will run till the end without crashing.

What does the ampersand mean in a scanf function?

(Arrays are a weird exception – the value of the address of the first element is passed, which is why arrays and pointers are considered mostly equivalent in C.) The ampersand is the address-off operator. The scanf function is going to fill a buffer, and it needs to know its address so that it can write to it.

What is the difference between scanf and printf in C programming?

Now, while printf doesn’t need to change its arguments (it is an output function) scanf does (it is an input function). Hence it needs variable pointers (addresses) as arguments. Please Sign up or sign in to vote. Start by reading C documentation. & is about what you do with a variable.

Why does scanf need the address of a variable?

Because scanf() need the address of a variable in order to know where to put the scanned value. C uses “call by value “ so if you use a plain variable in the scanf() argument list all you get is its value and no clue as where to store the value.

What is the syntax of scanf?

Below is syntax of Scanf. It requires two arguments: scanf (“Format Specifier”, Variable Address); Format Specifier: Type of value to expect while input Variable Address: &variable returns the variable’s memory address. In case of a string (character array), the variable itself points to the first element of the array in question.