Western Governors University (WGU) C173 Scripting and Programming Practice Test

Saving a value to a variable involves the process of assignment, which is achieved through the use of the equals sign. In programming, when you assign a value to a variable, you are essentially creating a label for that value that can be referenced later in your code. The syntax typically looks like this:

```

variable_name = value;

```

In this syntax, the variable name is assigned the value on the right side of the equals sign. This means that the variable now holds that value, and it can be used elsewhere in the program for various operations, such as calculations or data manipulation.

Other options, while related to programming concepts, do not directly pertain to the act of saving a value to a variable. Declaring a type explicitly refers to defining what kind of data a variable can hold, but it does not itself involve the assignment of a value. Enclosing a value in quotation marks is relevant for string literals, but again, it does not encompass the broader notion of saving a value to a variable if not assigned. Creating a function is a separate mechanism used to group and reuse code, but it does not relate to variable assignment. Therefore, using the equals sign is the fundamental principle behind assigning values to variables.