Understanding the ASCII value of a character is a fundamental concept in C programming. ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a character encoding standard used to represent text in computers and other digital devices. Each character is assigned a unique integer value known as the ASCII value. This article explores three methods to write a C program to print the ASCII value of a character, providing code examples, detailed explanations, and expected output for each method.

Write a C Program to Print ASCII Value of a Character

Method 1) C Program to Print ASCII Value of a Character using the printf Function

Code Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    char character;
    printf("Enter a character: ");
    scanf("%c", &character);
    printf("ASCII value of %c is %d\n", character, character);
    return 0;
}

Explanation of the Code

The printf function is one of the most commonly used functions in C programming for output. To print the ASCII value of a character, we can use the %d format specifier within the printf function. The %d format specifier converts the character to its corresponding integer value, which is the ASCII value.

In this example, the user inputs the character ‘A’. The program reads this input using scanf and then prints both the character and its ASCII value using printf. The character ‘A’ has an ASCII value of 65, which is displayed as the output.

Output

When you input a character, the program will display its corresponding ASCII value. For example, if you enter the character ‘A’, the output will be:

Enter a character: A
ASCII value of A is 65

Method 2) C Program to Print ASCII Value of a Character using Type Casting

Code Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    char character;
    printf("Enter a character: ");
    scanf("%c", &character);
    int asciiValue = (int)character;
    printf("ASCII value of %c is %d\n", character, asciiValue);
    return 0;
}

Explanation of the Code

Type casting in C allows you to explicitly convert a variable from one data type to another. In this method, we cast the character to an integer type to obtain and print its ASCII value. This approach provides a clear way to understand how characters are stored as integer values in C.

Here, the character ‘b’ is input by the user. The program reads this character and explicitly casts it to an integer, which is stored in the variable asciiValue. The program then prints both the character and its ASCII value. The character ‘b’ has an ASCII value of 98.

Output

This method will also prompt you to enter a character and display its ASCII value. For example, if you enter the character ‘b’, the output will be:

Enter a character: b
ASCII value of b is 98

Method 3) C Program to Print ASCII Value of a Character using an Array to Store Characters

Code Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    char str[2];
    printf("Enter a character: ");
    scanf("%1s", str);
    printf("ASCII value of %c is %d\n", str[0], str[0]);
    return 0;
}

Explanation of the Code

In some cases, you might want to handle multiple characters at once. This method stores the character in an array and then prints its ASCII value. This approach can be useful when working with strings or multiple characters, making it more versatile.

In this method, the program reads a single character input and stores it in the first position of the array str. The ASCII value of the character is then accessed using str[0] and printed. The character ‘z’ has an ASCII value of 122.

Output

When you input a character, the program stores it in an array and prints its ASCII value. For example, if you enter the character ‘z’, the output will be:

Enter a character: z
ASCII value of z is 122

Printing the ASCII value of a character in C is an essential skill for any programmer working with text data. By using the printf function, type casting, or arrays, you can easily convert characters to their corresponding ASCII values. Each method has its unique benefits, and understanding them will enhance your proficiency in C programming. Whether you’re handling single characters or processing strings, these techniques will serve as foundational tools in your programming arsenal.