How can I define something a character AND an integer in the same time?

How can I define something a character AND an integer in the same time? So that the user may type a letter or a number?
also for the ifs afterwards, will this work?

for characters:

Code:

---

if(input=='a')

---

for numbers

Code:

---

if(input=9)

---

Thanks in advance.

You can't. A variable can only be one single type.

However, the numbers 0 through 9 still are characters, as well, so typing in a number would work with a character variable.

Just call it a char.

if (input == 'a')

if (input == '9')


Same deal.

Thanks guys!!!
But what if I need to use something higher than 9 or lower than 0, will it be impossible?

You should use a structure or a class containing the two different variable types. Ultimately, a character is not an integer and an integer is not a character.

Kuphryn

Well, not necessarily, you could do this for numbers out of that range:

Code:

---

#include <iostream.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <ctype.h>

int main()
{

    char input[10];
    int intInput;

    cin.getline(input, 10);

    // checks to see if the first character is a number
    if (isdigit(input[0])
      intInput = atoi(input);  // changes the string of digit characters (if that's what it is)
                              // to an integer

}

---

That will make it so that if the person enters a number, the program will convert the characters into an integer and assign its value to "intInput".

Thanks all, I really get the best answers here, keep the good work guys!

Perhaps you should declare a union? Maybe not the best way to go about it though.