In the function named bitCount that returns an unsigned integer, what is the name of the input variable?

• A. bits
• B. value
• C. count
• D. result

Answer: (B)

The main idea is naming a function parameter to reflect what the function operates on. For a bit-counting function, the value being examined is the numeric data whose bits you’ll count. The name value communicates that this parameter holds the number you’re processing, making the purpose of the input clear.

The other options imply something different: bits suggests a collection of bits rather than a single input; count would be a tally or the function’s result rather than the input; result names the output, not the input. So the input variable is best named value, and the function signature would look like unsigned int bitCount(unsigned int value).