What determines how a computer interprets values in a programming language?

The key factor that determines how a computer interprets values in a programming language is the data type. Data types define the nature of the data being processed, indicating what kind of values can be stored and what operations can be performed on them. For instance, a variable declared as an integer data type will only accept whole numbers and will signify to the computer that it should allocate a specific amount of memory based on that type. Similarly, a string data type will store text and allow for string operations, such as concatenation.

Other choices like functionality and syntax serve different purposes in programming. Functionality refers to what the code does overall but does not dictate how values are interpreted. Syntax pertains to the set of rules that define how code is structured and written but does not inherently define a value's type. Lastly, variable names simply label the data or references in code, but they do not influence how the computer interprets the data. Thus, understanding data types is crucial for effective programming and ensures that data is managed correctly by the computer.