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I know that ++variable adds 1 to the variable, but what about variable++ and variable--?

AboodXD
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  • `--` just subtracts. The other difference is what the expression returns `variable++` returns the value before it is incremented and `++variable` returns the value after. If used on a line by itself it doesn't matter, but if you do `while(variable-- > 0)` that will be different from `while(--variable > 0)`. – juharr Jul 26 '17 at 15:45

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These are increment and decrement operators. The positioning of the operators with relation to the variable governs the order in which the operation is applied.

var++ returns the variable's value and then increments it by one ++var first increments the variable by one and then returns the newly incremented value

similarly...

var-- returns the variable's value and then decrements it by one --var first decrements the variable value and then returns the newly decremented value

nageeb
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  • Actually `var++` saves to a temp variable, then increments `var`, then returns the temp variable. The return does not happen before the increment. – juharr Jul 26 '17 at 15:46
  • @juharr that may be the case, however I thought, given the question, that the finer details were probably not necessary. I updated my answer to avoid any confusion. – nageeb Jul 26 '17 at 15:51