Which symbol indicates assignment of a value to a variable in programming?

The symbol that indicates assignment of a value to a variable in programming is the equal sign. This symbol is used to assign a value from the right side of the equation to the variable on the left side. For example, in the statement x = 5, the value 5 is assigned to the variable x.

Understanding the use of this assignment operator is fundamental in programming, as it allows developers to store and manipulate data throughout their code. The assignment operator does not compare values but rather sets or updates the value of the variable.

In contrast, other symbols serve different functions. The double equal sign is typically used for comparison to determine if two values are equal. The colon may be used in various programming contexts, such as in dictionary definitions in Python or in slicing, but it does not indicate assignment. The exclamation mark is often used in logical operations, such as indicating negation or as part of a logical statement, but it does not perform variable assignment.