Understanding what a variable is and what it does

What is a variable? Technically, it's a tiny section of your computer's memory that will hold any information that you put there. While a game is running, it keeps track of where the information is stored, the value kept there, and the type of that value. However, for this chapter, all you need to know is how a variable works. It's very simple.

What's usually in a mailbox, besides air? Well, usually there's nothing, but occasionally there is something in it. Sometimes, there are letters, bills, a spider, and so on. The point is that what is in a mailbox can vary. Therefore, let's call each mailbox a variable.

In the game development world, some simple examples of variables might be:

• playerName

• playerScore

• highestScore

Naming a variable

Using the example of the mailbox, if I asked you to see what is in the mailbox, the first thing you'd ask is, "Which one?" If I say in the Smith mailbox, the brown mailbox, or the round mailbox, you'll know...