Variables

Variables in Cyrus are declared using the # symbol:

#name: OptionalType = Value;

• #name - the variable name, always prefixed with #
• OptionalType - (optional) the type of the variable; if omitted, the compiler infers it
• Value - the initial value assigned to the variable

Example

#count: int = 42;                   // explicit type annotation
#message: char* = "Hello, Cyrus!";  // explicit type annotation
#flag = true;                       // type inferred as bool

Why Sharp (#)?

The # prefix is unique to Cyrus. It makes variable declarations easy to spot and improves editor syntax highlighting.
Using # instead of keywords like var or let keeps code shorter and visually distinct.
Type inference works automatically when the type is omitted.

Zero Initialization

Variables that are declared without an initial value are automatically zero-initialized:

#x: int;
#y: float64;
#ptr: int*;

printf("%d\n", x);   // prints 0
printf("%f\n", y);   // prints 0.0
printf("%p\n", ptr); // prints null / 0

Variable Mutability

In Cyrus, variables are mutable by default. You can assign new values to them after their initial declaration:

#counter: int = 0;
#counter = 10; // allowed

To declare a read-only variable, use the const keyword before the type:

#pi: const float64 = 3.14159;

• Const Type variables cannot be reassigned after initialization.
• Must be initialized at the time of declaration; leaving it uninitialized is not allowed.

#pi: const float64; // ❌ const variable must be initialized
#pi = 3.14159;      // ❌ cannot assign to const variable