x++ , ++x

[Brian Pianczk]

I am not sure why, what is going on here is not getting through to me.

 class OutPut {
  
  public static void main (String [] args){

  int y = 1;
  
  int x = ++y;
  
  int z = 1;

  int a = z++;

  // System.out.println ("int y = 1; \nint x = ++y; \nint z = 1; \nint a = z++;"); // added that in so i could visualize it at run time.

  System.out.println ("When ++y x = " + x + " and y = " + y + "\nWhen z++ a = " + a 
			+ " and z = " + z);
  }
}   

Produces this output.

When ++y x = 2 and y = 2
When z++ a = 1 and z = 2

why?

[Steve Luke]

++y is the pre-increment. x = ++y essentially says 'increment y, then use the new value of y to assign to x'

z++ is the post-increment. a = z++ essentially says 'use the current value of z to assign to a, then increment z'

[Brian Pianczk]

Thanks, I find it very helpful to see it in regular ol English.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Please do a search; that sort of problem causes no end of confusion and there are lots of similar questions here on beginners'.

[Brian Pianczk]

Campbell Ritchie wrote:Please do a search; that sort of problem causes no end of confusion and there are lots of similar questions here on beginners'.

I tried, but the search wont take ++ as a valid entry, and I didn't know exactly what else to look for.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Try searching for "preincrement postincrement" and you get a few hits: 1, 2 (end of discussion), 3, and there are others.