A local variable in C programming is a variable that is declared inside a function or block of code. Local variables are only accessible within the function or block in which they are declared. They have local scope, which means they can only be accessed within the function or block in which they are declared.

Here is an example of declaring and using a local variable:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
  int num = 10; // declaring and initializing a local variable
  
  printf("The value of num is %d\n", num); // accessing the value of the local variable
  
  return 0;
}

In this example, we declared a local variable named num inside the main() function. The variable is only accessible within the main() function, and its value cannot be accessed or modified from outside the function.

Local variables can be used to store temporary values that are needed within a function or block of code. They are created when the function or block of code is executed, and they are destroyed when the function or block of code exits.

It is good programming practice to initialize local variables when they are declared. Uninitialized local variables can lead to unpredictable behavior in your program.

Local variables can have the same name as global variables, but they will only be visible within the function or block of code in which they are declared. If a local variable has the same name as a global variable, the local variable takes precedence within the function or block of code.

In summary, a local variable in C programming is a variable that is declared inside a function or block of code. Local variables have local scope, which means they can only be accessed within the function or block in which they are declared. They can be used to store temporary values needed within a function or block of code.