What does the term 'literals' refer to in programming?

• A. Values used in computations
• B. Fixed values written directly in code
• C. Variables that store data
• D. Function names in a module

Answer: (B)

The term 'literals' in programming refers to fixed values that are explicitly written in the code. These values can represent various types of data such as numbers, strings, characters, and boolean values, among others. For instance, when you write a number like 42, a string like "Hello, World!", or a boolean like True directly in your code, you are using literals.

Literals are distinguished from variables because they do not change throughout the execution of the program; they are static values that directly represent data. This concept is fundamental to programming because it allows developers to define constant values that can be used in computations, comparisons, and other operations within the program.

In contrast, the other options refer to different concepts in programming. Values used in computations may include literals, but they also encompass variables and expressions. Variables are not literals because they can store values that may change during program execution. Lastly, function names in a module do not represent values themselves but rather callable blocks of code that may operate on literals or variables.