Swift Programming

Variables Series · Lesson 2

Understanding Variable Syntax Structure

Learn the exact Swift pattern for declaring variables so your code compiles and stays predictable.

Swift Programming Xcode iOS

What to focus on while watching

Variable declarations follow a repeatable structure in Swift.
The order of keywords, names, types, and values is important.
Small syntax mistakes can lead to compile-time errors.

Part 1: What are Variables? Part 3: Data Types in Swift

Lesson Notes and Walkthrough

This lesson teaches the shape of a variable declaration in Swift. When you learn the pattern, writing code becomes faster and debugging becomes easier.

The Structure

var name: Type = value

var: says this value can change.
name: the label you use in code.
Type: what kind of data (for example String or Int).
value: the starting data.

Beginner Example

var city: String = "Austin"
var temperature: Int = 72

print("\(city) is \(temperature) degrees.")

Output: Austin is 72 degrees.

When Can You Skip the Type?

Swift can often infer the type automatically:

var city = "Austin"   // inferred as String
var temperature = 72  // inferred as Int

For beginners, writing the type explicitly can make learning clearer.

Common Syntax Errors

Using : and = in the wrong places.
Mismatched types, like assigning text to an Int variable.
Forgetting quotation marks around strings.

What is an Array?

Conceptual Overview

Programming

Array Programming

Coding Tutorial

Programming

What are Variables?

Series| Part 1

Practice: Variable Syntax

~5 min Beginner

Goal: Write valid Swift variable declarations with explicit types.

Steps

Declare a name with String type.
Declare a score with Int type.
Print both values with a single sentence.

Expected Output

Ada has a score of 10.

Need a hint?

Use var playerName: String = "Ada" and var score: Int = 10.

Code

import Foundation

var playerName: String = "Ada"
var score: Int = 10

print("\(playerName) has a score of \(score).")