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lvalue and rvalue in C language

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lvalue:- 

lvalue simply means an object that has an identifiable location in memory (i.e. having an address).

  • In any assignment statement “lvalue” must have the capability to store the data.
  • lvalue cannot be a function, expression (like a+b) or a constant (like 3 , 4 , etc.).

L-value: “l-value” refers to memory location which identifies an object. l-value may appear as either left hand or right hand side of an assignment operator(=). l-value often represents as identifier. Expressions referring to modifiable locations are called “modifiable l-values“. A modifiable l-value cannot have an array type, an incomplete type, or a type with the const attribute. For structures and unions to be modifiable lvalues, they must not have any members with the const attribute. The name of the identifier denotes a storage location, while the value of the variable is the value stored at that location. An identifier is a modifiable lvalue if it refers to a memory location and if its type is arithmetic, structure, union or pointer. For example, if ptr is a pointer to a storage region, then *ptr is a modifiable l-value that designates the storage region to which ptr points. In C, the concept was renamed as “locator value”, and referred to expressions that locate (designate) objects. The l-value is one of the following:

  1. The name of the variable of any type i.e. , an identifier of integral, floating, pointer, structure, or union type.
  2. A subscript ([ ]) expression that does not evaluate to an array.
  3. A unary-indirection (*) expression that does not refer to an array
  4. An l-value expression in parentheses.
  5. A const object (a nonmodifiable l-value).
  6. The result of indirection through a pointer, provided that it isn’t a function pointer.
  7. The result of member access through pointer(-> or .)

C




// declare ‘a’ as int variable and
// ‘p’ as pointer variable
int a, *p;

p = &a; // ok, assignment of address
// at l-value

&a = p; // error: &a is an r-value

int x, y;

( x < y ? y : x) = 0; // It’s valid because the ternary
// expression preserves the "lvalue-ness"
// of both its possible return values


r-value:-

r-value simply means, an object that has no identifiable location in memory (i.e. having an address).

  • Anything that is capable of returning a constant expression or value.
  • Expression like a+b will return some constant.

R-value: r-value” refers to data value that is stored at some address in memory. A r-value is an expression, that can’t have a value assigned to it, which means r-value can appear on right but not on left hand side of an assignment operator(=). 

C




// declare 'a', 'b' an object of type 'int'
int a = 1, b;
 
a + 1 = b; // Error, left expression is
           // is not variable(a + 1)
 
// declare pointer variable 'p', and 'q'
int *p, *q; // *p, *q are lvalue
 
*p = 1; // valid l-value assignment
 
// below is invalid - "p + 2" is not an l-value
// p + 2 = 18;
 
q = p + 5; // valid - "p + 5" is an r-value
 
// Below is valid - dereferencing pointer
// expression gives an l-value
*(p + 2) = 18;
 
p = &b;
 
int arr[20]; // arr[12] is an lvalue; equivalent
              // to *(arr+12)
              // Note: arr itself is also an lvalue
 
struct S { int m; };
 
struct S obj; // obj and obj.m are lvalues
 
// ptr-> is an lvalue; equivalent to (*ptr).m
// Note: ptr and *ptr are also lvalues
struct S* ptr = &obj;


Note: The unary & (address-of) operator requires an l-value as its operand. That is, &n is a valid expression only if n is an l-value. Thus, an expression such as &12 is an error. Again, 12 does not refer to an object, so it’s not addressable. For instance, 

C





Remembering the mnemonic, that l-values can appear on the left of an assignment operator while r-values can appear on the right.

Reference: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bkbs2cds.aspx



Last Updated : 22 Jun, 2022
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