vb.net - What does a percentage symbol mean as part of a variable name?

Question

I'm just looking at some VB.NET code and I came across this:

Dim var%

Later var is set to 0.

What's the purpose of the percent sign (%)?

(Google and SO search failed me)

Answer 1

Dim varname% is ancient BASIC syntax for "varname is an integer". This has been around for a very long time in the history of the BASIC family, and is supported in Visual Basic.NET (although I, personally, wouldn't recommend it - it can be rather opaque, as discovered by you).