Assigning variable data

[Jordan Tee]

The source I'm using to learn java has done a good job of being clear and straight forward, however there is something I do not understand and can't seme to find the answer to. Why would i want to make variable equal to itself? Here is an example of what is confusing me.

int weight = weight + 150;

Why would I not just do:

int weight = 150;

Thanks for the help.

[Sid Moitra]

Jordan,

Could you please post the entire or some part of the code as this is not making any sense??

[Henry Wong]

Jordan Tee wrote: Why would i want to make variable equal to itself? Here is an example of what is confusing me.

int weight = weight + 150;

As already mentioned, this is not valid code. For static and instance variables, this is trying to reference a field before it is defined. And for local variables, this is trying to use a variable before it is initialized.

Henry

[Campbell Ritchie]

Welcome to the Ranch both of you

In a line like weight = weight + 150; you need to remember that the + operator has a higher precedence than the assignment operator =
Work out what weight is at the end of this code

int weight = 111;
weight = weight + 123;
System.out.printf("Weight is %d%n", weight);

[Campbell Ritchie]

As others have mentioned, you may have copied that code incorrectly.

[Jordan Tee]

I believe that the answer would be 234. This has helped me and I will explain what I understand and please correct me if I am mistaken. You have assigned weight with

int weight = 111;

You later have reassigned weight by modifying it by a value of 123

weight = weight + 123;

I'm assuming this is done so that you can have a starting value and then later modify it more easily. My question now is: after
weight = weight + 123;
runs does the permanent value of weight become 234 or does it remain 111?

Thanks for your help!

Campbell Ritchie wrote:Welcome to the Ranch both of you

In a line like weight = weight + 150; you need to remember that the + operator has a higher precedence than the assignment operator =
Work out what weight is at the end of this code

int weight = 111;
weight = weight + 123;
System.out.printf("Weight is %d%n", weight);

[Jesper de Jong]

Jordan Tee wrote:I'm assuming this is done so that you can have a starting value and then later modify it more easily. My question now is: after
weight = weight + 123;
runs does the permanent value of weight become 234 or does it remain 111?

The = operator (assignment) stores the value of whatever is right of the = in the variable that's left of the =. So this would store the value 234 in the variable named 'weight'.

[Campbell Ritchie]

I was hoping you would get 234. That remains the value of weight until you add 111 again, when it becomes 345. Or some other explicit change.