What are executable statements in C language?

Executable statements in C are instructions that perform specific actions during program execution. The compiler translates these statements into machine code, which the processor can execute directly.

Syntax

statement;

Types of Executable Statements

The main types of executable statements in C language are −

• Input-output statements
• Assignment statements
• Control flow statements
• Function call statements

Input-Output Statements

Input-output statements handle data exchange between the program and the user −

• Input operation − Storing values from external sources into memory
• Output operation − Displaying computed results to the user
• These operations use functions from <stdio.h> header file

printf() Function

The printf() function displays formatted output −

printf("format string", variable_list);

scanf() Function

The scanf() function reads formatted input from keyboard −

scanf("format string", &variable_list);

Assignment Statements

Assignment statements store values in variables and perform arithmetic operations −

variable = expression;

Examples −

• c = a + b;
• avg = sum / 3;
• result = (b * b - 4 * a * c);

Example: Complete Program with Executable Statements

Following program demonstrates various executable statements to compute average of three numbers −

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int a, b, c, sum;
    float avg;
    
    /* Input statement */
    printf("Enter three numbers: ");
    scanf("%d %d %d", &a, &b, &c);
    
    /* Assignment statements */
    sum = a + b + c;
    avg = (float)sum / 3;
    
    /* Output statement */
    printf("Average = %.2f<br>", avg);
    
    return 0;
}

Enter three numbers: 10 20 30
Average = 20.00

Key Points

• Every executable statement must end with a semicolon (;)
• Statements are executed sequentially unless controlled by flow control statements
• Input operations require address operator (&) with variable names
• Type casting may be needed for accurate calculations

Conclusion

Executable statements form the core of C programs by performing actual operations like input, output, calculations, and data manipulation. Understanding these statement types is fundamental for writing effective C programs.