What is wrong with the following code snippet? int average; average = 78A;

The code snippet contains an issue with the assignment to the variable 'average.' In programming, when you declare a variable with a specific data type, such as an integer (int), it is expected that any value assigned to it must conform to that data type. The assignment 'average = 78A;' contains the characters '78A', which is not a valid integer. The presence of the letter 'A' makes the value non-numeric, thus causing a type mismatch error.

For integer variables, only numeric values can be assigned. Since 'average' is defined as an integer, attempting to assign a non-numeric string will lead to a compilation error or a runtime error, depending on the programming language and its handling of type errors. Recognizing that a variable must receive a value appropriate to its data type is a fundamental concept in programming that prevents errors and ensures proper functionality of code.