i++ and++i

The expressions i++ and ++i are both incrementing operators in C++. They are used to increase the value of the variable i by one. However, they have different behaviors and usage.

i++

The i++ operator is called the post-increment operator. It increments the value of i after using its current value. Here is the step-by-step explanation:

  1. The current value of i is used in the expression where i++ is located.
  2. The value of i is then incremented by one.

For example, consider the following code snippet:

int i = 5;
int result = i++;

In this case, i initially has a value of 5. The value of i is used in the expression i++, so the current value of i (5) is assigned to the variable result. After the expression is evaluated, the value of i is incremented by one, so i becomes 6.

++i

The ++i operator is called the pre-increment operator. It increments the value of i before using its value in an expression. Here is the step-by-step explanation:

  1. The value of i is incremented by one.
  2. The updated value of i is then used in the expression where ++i is located.

For example, consider the following code snippet:

int i = 5;
int result = ++i;

In this case, i initially has a value of 5. The value of i is incremented by one before being used in the expression ++i, so i becomes 6. Then, the updated value of i (6) is assigned to the variable result.

In summary, the i++ operator increments the value of i after using its current value, while the ++i operator increments the value of i before using its updated value.