You have already learned that cout is used to output (print) values. Now we will use cin to get user input.

cin is a predefined variable that reads data from the keyboard with the extraction operator (>>).

In the following example, the user can input a number, which is stored in the variable x. Then we print the value of x:

Example

int x; 
cout << "Type a number: "; // Type a number and press enter
cin >> x; // Get user input from the keyboard
cout << "Your number is: " << x; // Display the input value



Practice Excercise Practice now