What are variables? How are they important for a program?

Variables:

Variables are named containers used to store and manipulate data in a program. They act as placeholders that hold values, which can be of different types such as numbers, strings, or objects. Variables have names assigned to them, allowing developers to refer to and modify the stored data throughout the program.

Variables are important for a program for the following reasons:

• Data storage: Variables provide a way to store and retain data during program execution.
• Data manipulation: Variables allow operations and calculations to be performed on the stored data, providing flexibility and interactivity in program logic.
• Value persistence: Variables retain their assigned values until they are explicitly modified or reassigned, enabling the program to remember and use data across different parts of the code.
• Code readability: Variables can be assigned meaningful names that describe the data they hold, making the code more readable and understandable for developers.
• Data sharing: Variables can be passed as arguments to functions or shared between different parts of the program, facilitating communication and interaction between different components.
• Program flexibility: By changing the value assigned to a variable, the behavior of the program can be altered, allowing for dynamic and adaptable code execution.

Overall, variables play a crucial role in storing, manipulating, and representing data, making them an essential component of programming languages like Python.