what is the difference between i++ and ++ i ?

Difference between i++ and ++i in C++

The expressions i++ and ++i are both used to increment the value of a variable i by 1 in the C++ programming language. However, there is a subtle difference between the two.

• i++ is called the post-increment operator. It first uses the current value of i in an expression and then increments i by 1. In other words, the value of i is incremented after it is used in the expression.

• ++i is called the pre-increment operator. It increments i by 1 and then uses the updated value of i in an expression. In other words, the value of i is incremented before it is used in the expression.

Let's illustrate the difference with an example:

int i = 5;
int a = i++; // a = 5, i = 6
int b = ++i; // b = 7, i = 7

In the example above, a is assigned the value of i (which is 5) before i is incremented. After the assignment, i is incremented to 6. On the other hand, b is assigned the value of i (which is now 6) after i is incremented. Therefore, b becomes 7 and i remains 7.

It's important to note that the difference between i++ and ++i becomes more significant when these operators are used in larger expressions or in loops. Understanding the difference can help avoid unexpected behavior and produce the desired results.