Question

A variable must be __________ before it can be used in a program.

Short answer

Answer: Initialization

Step-by-step solution

Identify the concept related to variable usage

Before a variable can be used in a program, it has to go through a specific process which is crucial to avoid errors or unexpected results in the program while it executes.

Recall the process that a variable must undergo before it can be used

The process that a variable must go through is called "initialization". Initialization means assigning an initial value to a variable, before using it in the program.

Complete the exercise by filling in the blank with the correct answer

Given the explanation of the concept in the previous steps, we can now complete the statement given in the exercise: "A variable must be __initialized__ before it can be used in a program."