i++ or ++i ?

[John Brawley]

Please pardon a maybe very stupid question?
I've read and reread Bjarne Stroustrup on this, and I still don't "get it,"
so I wrote this to help me understand, and now I _really_ don't "get it."
Why, if one increments before, and the other after, do these snippets output
exactly the same?
#include <iostream>

int main() {
for(int i=0; i<10; i++)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
for(int i=0;i<10;++i)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
int b=7;
b++; std::cout<<b;
int c=7;
++c; std::cout<<"\n"<<c;
//????????? why? same outputs!
return 0;
}

_Same_output_.
What's the difference?
(I use these in a program, which doesn't crash....)
--
Peace
JB
[e-mail]
Web: http://tetrahedraverse.com

[fred.l.kleinschmidt]

On Feb 8, 11:00*am, "John Brawley" <[e-mail]:

Please pardon a maybe very stupid question?
I've read and reread Bjarne Stroustrup on this, and I still don't "get it,"
so I wrote this to help me understand, and now I _really_ don't "get it."
Why, if one increments before, and the other after, do these snippets output
exactly the same?

#include <iostream>

int main() {
for(int i=0; i<10; i++)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
for(int i=0;i<10;++i)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
int b=7;
b++; std::cout<<b;
int c=7;
++c; std::cout<<"\n"<<c;
//????????? *why? *same outputs!
return 0;

}

_Same_output_.
What's the difference?
(I use these in a program, which doesn't crash....)

Try this and see:

int b=7;
std::cout << b++ <<endl;
int c=7;
std::cout << ++c << endl;
--
Fred Kleinschmidt

[Hans Mull]

John Brawley schrieb:

Please pardon a maybe very stupid question?
I've read and reread Bjarne Stroustrup on this, and I still don't "get it,"
so I wrote this to help me understand, and now I _really_ don't "get it."
Why, if one increments before, and the other after, do these snippets output
exactly the same?
#include <iostream>

int main() {
for(int i=0; i<10; i++)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
for(int i=0;i<10;++i)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
int b=7;
b++; std::cout<<b;
int c=7;
++c; std::cout<<"\n"<<c;
//????????? why? same outputs!
return 0;
}

_Same_output_.
What's the difference?
(I use these in a program, which doesn't crash....)

Maybe it will help you do define the difference between ++i and i++;

The statements do the same with one difference:
The value of the statement "++i" is i+1
while the value of i++ is i:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
int i=6;
cout << "i++: " << i++ << endl; //Will return i = 6
int j=6;
cout << "++i: " << ++i << endl; //Will return i+1 = 7
return 0;
}

I hope this will help you!

Kind regards, Hans

[Ioannis Vranos]

John Brawley wrote:

Please pardon a maybe very stupid question?
I've read and reread Bjarne Stroustrup on this, and I still don't "get it,"
so I wrote this to help me understand, and now I _really_ don't "get it."
Why, if one increments before, and the other after, do these snippets output
exactly the same?
#include <iostream>

int main() {
for(int i=0; i<10; i++)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
for(int i=0;i<10;++i)
std::cout<<i<<", ";
std::cout<<"\n";
int b=7;
b++; std::cout<<b;
int c=7;
++c; std::cout<<"\n"<<c;
//????????? why? same outputs!
return 0;
}

_Same_output_.
What's the difference?
(I use these in a program, which doesn't crash....)

Along the answers of the others, my advice is, read a good introductory
C++ book cover to cover, before reading "The C++ Programming Language"
3rd Edition or Special Edition cover to cover.

[Pascal Bourguignon]

Hans Mull <de*******@googlemail.comwrites:

[...]
You can directly print them via cout:
cout << ++i;
cout << i++;

Yes, but if you want to see non-puzzling results, you'd better use two
variables:

int i=0;cout<<"++i = "<<++i<<endl;
int j=0;cout<<"j++ = "<<j++<<endl;

--
__Pascal Bourguignon__ http://www.informatimago.com/
The mighty hunter
Returns with gifts of plump birds,
Your foot just squashed one.

[acehreli]

On Feb 8, 2:59 pm, "John Brawley" <[e-mail]:

Andrey wrote:

the
result of '++i' expression is the "new" value of 'i' (the value "after"
the increment), while the result of 'i++' expression is the "old" value
of 'i' (the value "before" the increment).

(I'll thank y'all even one more when I finally understand this permanently.)

A common description of the differences between the two is

++i increments i before
i++ increments i after

Unfortunately that definition works only in C. There is a better
description that works in both languages:

++i increments i and uses i
i++ takes a copy of i, increments i, and uses the copy

Daniel T.'s recommendation of looking at the implementation is helpful
in seeing this. So, here is how it boils down:

foo(++i) is the same thing as

++i;
foo(i);

On the other hand, foo(i++) is the same thing as

const int compiler_generated_temp = i;
++i;
foo(compiler_generated_temp);

Ali

[Ioannis Vranos]

John Brawley wrote:

>
(Oh, one last: I do appreciate the recommendation to read a good book on C++

Actually: "A good *introductory* book on C++".

"The C++ Programming Language" 3rd Edition or Special Edition is an
excellent book itself, better suited to intermediate C++ programmers IMHO.

[John Brawley]

"Ioannis Vranos" <iv*****@nospam.no.spamfreemail.grwrote in message
news:fo**********@ulysses.noc.ntua.gr...

John Brawley wrote:

(Oh, one last: I do appreciate the recommendation to read a good book on

C++

>
Actually: "A good *introductory* book on C++".

"The C++ Programming Language" 3rd Edition or Special Edition is an
excellent book itself, better suited to intermediate C++ programmers IMHO.

I take your point, and would certainly agree, for any newbie who was trying
to *learn to program* in C++. However, my case was/is different: I was
trying (well, past tense; I've already succeeded) to *write a program* in
C++.
Those are actually, if you think about it, very different motivations
driving perhaps equally different paths and needs. Having never done so
before, one can pick up an oboe and in a while learn to play one piece (say,
"Stranger on the Shore" --Acker Bilk) on it rather indistinguishably from a
musician, but if asked to play a different piece, nothing but squawks might
emerge. (*g*)
I had *used* all this code to get something working. I didn't necessarily
_understand_ why or how it worked in every case (especially this ++i / i++
case), but no matter: the program does exactly what I wanted it to.
--
Peace
JB
[e-mail]
Web: http://tetrahedraverse.com

[Ioannis Vranos]

John Brawley wrote:

"Ioannis Vranos" <iv*****@nospam.no.spamfreemail.grwrote in message
news:fo**********@ulysses.noc.ntua.gr...

>John Brawley wrote:

>>(Oh, one last: I do appreciate the recommendation to read a good book on

C++

>Actually: "A good *introductory* book on C++".

"The C++ Programming Language" 3rd Edition or Special Edition is an
excellent book itself, better suited to intermediate C++ programmers IMHO.

I take your point, and would certainly agree, for any newbie who was trying
to *learn to program* in C++. However, my case was/is different: I was
trying (well, past tense; I've already succeeded) to *write a program* in
C++.
Those are actually, if you think about it, very different motivations
driving perhaps equally different paths and needs. Having never done so
before, one can pick up an oboe and in a while learn to play one piece (say,
"Stranger on the Shore" --Acker Bilk) on it rather indistinguishably from a
musician, but if asked to play a different piece, nothing but squawks might
emerge. (*g*)
I had *used* all this code to get something working. I didn't necessarily
_understand_ why or how it worked in every case (especially this ++i / i++
case), but no matter: the program does exactly what I wanted it to.

OK it is up to you to decide what you need, but if you had read a good
introductory C++ book, I think you would have understood the difference
between i++ and ++i in the first place. :-)

[John Brawley]

"Ioannis Vranos" <iv*****@nospam.no.spamfreemail.grwrote in message
news:fo***********@ulysses.noc.ntua.gr...

John Brawley wrote:

"Ioannis Vranos" <iv*****@nospam.no.spamfreemail.grwrote in message
news:fo**********@ulysses.noc.ntua.gr...

John Brawley wrote:

(Oh, one last: I do appreciate the recommendation to read a good book

on

C++

Actually: "A good *introductory* book on C++".

"The C++ Programming Language" 3rd Edition or Special Edition is an
excellent book itself, better suited to intermediate C++ programmers

IMHO.

I take your point, and would certainly agree, for any newbie who was

trying

to *learn to program* in C++. However, my case was/is different: I was
trying (well, past tense; I've already succeeded) to *write a program*

in

C++.
Those are actually, if you think about it, very different motivations
driving perhaps equally different paths and needs. Having never done so
before, one can pick up an oboe and in a while learn to play one piece

(say,

"Stranger on the Shore" --Acker Bilk) on it rather indistinguishably

from a

musician, but if asked to play a different piece, nothing but squawks

might

emerge. (*g*)
I had *used* all this code to get something working. I didn't

necessarily

_understand_ why or how it worked in every case (especially this ++i /

i++

case), but no matter: the program does exactly what I wanted it to.

OK it is up to you to decide what you need, but if you had read a good
introductory C++ book, I think you would have understood the difference
between i++ and ++i in the first place. :-)

Doubtless I would have.
Thank you for the kind advice.
I often play on grounds for which I am not qualified.
So far, no serious injuries....
(*grin*)
--
Peace
JB
[e-mail]
Web: http://tetrahedraverse.com

[James Kanze]

On Feb 9, 12:51 am, [e-mail] wrote:

On Feb 8, 2:59 pm, "John Brawley" <[e-mail]:
A common description of the differences between the two is

++i increments i before
i++ increments i after

Unfortunately that definition works only in C. There is a better
description that works in both languages:

++i increments i and uses i
i++ takes a copy of i, increments i, and uses the copy

And what's the difference between the two descriptions?

An expression has two characteristics: its side effects, and its
value. The side effects of the two expressions are the same.
The value is different. If you don't use the value, there's
(conceptually, at least) no value.

If you're writing a user defined ++, of course, and you want to
make it behave like the built in one (always a good idea), then
taking a copy before incrementing is usually the simplest way.

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:ja*********@gmail.com
Conseils en informatique orientée objet/
Beratung in objektorientierter Datenverarbeitung
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