What are Tokens in C Language?

A Token is the smallest individual unit in a C program. It is the basic building block of the language. The C compiler cannot break down a token any further.

Every single character or word you type in a C program falls into one of these six categories:

1. Keywords: Pre-defined, reserved words that have a special meaning to the compiler. (e.g., int, return, if, while). You cannot use them as variable names.
2. Identifiers: Names created by the programmer for variables, functions, or arrays. (e.g., main, age, total_sum).
3. Constants: Fixed values that do not change during the execution of a program. (e.g., 10, 3.14, 'A').
4. Strings: A sequence of characters enclosed inside double quotes. (e.g., "Hello World").
5. Special Symbols: Punctuation marks and brackets that have specific grammatical uses in C. (e.g., [ ], { }, ,, ;, #).
6. Operators: Symbols that trigger mathematical or logical actions. (e.g., +, -, =, &&).

Look at this simple line of code: int sum = 10; The compiler breaks it down into 5 tokens:

1. int (Keyword)
2. sum (Identifier)
3. = (Operator)
4. 10 (Constant)
5. ; (Special Symbol)