What does assignment mean?

Giving a variable a value with =, as in x = 10. The right-hand side is worked out first, then stored under the name on the left.

Also written as: assign, assigned, assigning

In a lesson

speed = 60 stores the number 60 under the name speed. This is called assignment. From then on, writing speed means 60. The = is not "equals" as in maths; it means "put this value into this name". Read it right to left: take 60, store it in speed.

Learn it

• Taught in F1.6 Variables, constants and assignment Programming basics, GCSE

Used in

• F1.7 Input from the user
• F4.2 Parameters and return values
• F4.3 Local and global variables
• F5.3 Pseudocode and the exam reference language
• F13.3 Pseudocode in the exam
• F13.7 Where marks are lost
• A1.1 Data types and programming constructs
• A1.4 Subroutines, parameters and passing by reference
• A1.5 Scope, lifetime and debugging in an IDE
• A2.1 Stack frames and the call stack

and 11 more lessons.

All glossary terms