C Program to Swap Two Numbers

Posted in C Tutorial

Updated on Oct 27, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 168 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 1 Comment

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

In the world of programming, performing basic operations on numbers is a fundamental task. Swapping two numbers is one such operation that involves exchanging the values of two variables. This operation is commonly used in various algorithms and programs.

In this tutorial, we will explore a simple C program designed to swap the values of two numbers.

📄 Example

Let's delve into the C code that accomplishes this task.

swapNumbers.c

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#include <stdio.h>

// Function to swap two numbers
void swapNumbers(int * a, int * b) {
  // Temporary variable to hold the value of 'a'
  int temp = * a;

  // Assign the value of 'b' to 'a'
  * a = * b;

  // Assign the original value of 'a' (stored in 'temp') to 'b'
  * b = temp;
}

// Driver program
int main() {
  // Replace these values with the numbers you want to swap
  int num1 = 5, num2 = 10;

  printf("Before swapping: num1 = %d, num2 = %d\n", num1, num2);

  // Call the function to swap the numbers
  swapNumbers( & num1, & num2);

  printf("After swapping: num1 = %d, num2 = %d\n", num1, num2);

  return 0;
}

💻 Testing the Program

To test the program with different numbers, modify the values of num1 and num2 in the main program.

Output

Before swapping: num1 = 5, num2 = 10
After swapping: num1 = 10, num2 = 5

Compile and run the program to see the result of swapping the two numbers.

🧠 How the Program Works

The program defines a function swapNumbers that takes two integer pointers, a and b, as parameters and swaps their values using a temporary variable.
Inside the main program, replace the values of num1 and num2 with the numbers you want to swap.
The program prints the values of num1 and num2 before and after swapping.

🧐 Understanding the Concept of Swapping Two Numbers

Swapping two numbers involves exchanging their values. In the provided program, a temporary variable is used to hold the value of one variable while the values of the two variables are exchanged.