Arizona State University (ASU) CSE240 Introduction to Programming Languages Midterm Practice Exam

The term for a name given to a storage location in programming is a variable. A variable acts as a placeholder for data values, allowing programmers to store, modify, and retrieve information throughout the execution of a program. When a developer defines a variable, they assign it a name, which represents the memory location where the data is stored. This makes it easier to reference that location in the code without needing to remember specific memory addresses or values.

In addition to holding values, variables can often be changed or updated during the course of a program, making them dynamic in nature. This flexibility is crucial for many programming tasks, allowing for the creation of algorithms that can respond to different inputs or conditions.

The other options, while related to programming concepts, serve different purposes. A reference typically refers to a way to access variable data indirectly, usually by pointing to the location of the variable. An identifier is a broader term that encompasses any name used in programming, which includes variables but also includes function names, class names, and other entities. A literal is a fixed value directly embedded in the code, such as a number or a string, rather than a name assigned to a storage location.