Consider this code:
var i = 0;
>> undefined
i += i + i++;
>> 0
i
>> 0 // why not 1?
I would expect i to be 1 because of the increment (++) operator. What I think should happen is something like:
i = 0 + 0 + (i = i + 1)
i = 0 + 1
i = 1
Why it's returning zero instead? Could someone explain what happens under the scene?
It's important to realize is that i++ increments i, but returns the original value of i.
This postfix version of the operator (also called post-increment) is documented here:
If used postfix, with operator after operand (for example, x++), then it returns the value before incrementing.
So this evaluates to:
i = 0 + (j = i, i += 1, j);
Note the use of the comma operator above.
What you're describing is much more like the prefix version of the operator (also called pre-increment), ++i, which would evaluate to:
i = 0 + (i += 1);
And which does indeed return 1.
It should be
i += i + (++i);
If you use i++ the increment is after the expression, so it will resolve simply as i
Related
In JavaScript you can use ++ operator before (pre-increment) or after the variable name (post-increment). What, if any, are the differences between these ways of incrementing a variable?
Same as in other languages:
++x (pre-increment) means "increment the variable; the value of the expression is the final value"
x++ (post-increment) means "remember the original value, then increment the variable; the value of the expression is the original value"
Now when used as a standalone statement, they mean the same thing:
x++;
++x;
The difference comes when you use the value of the expression elsewhere. For example:
x = 0;
y = array[x++]; // This will get array[0]
x = 0;
y = array[++x]; // This will get array[1]
++x increments the value, then evaluates and stores it.
x++ evaluates the value, then increments and stores it.
var n = 0, m = 0;
alert(n++); /* Shows 0, then stores n = 1 */
alert(++m); /* Shows 1, then stores m = 1 */
Note that there are slight performance benefits to using ++x where possible, because you read the variable, modify it, then evaluate and store it. Versus the x++ operator where you read the value, evaluate it, modify it, then store it.
As I understand them if you use them standalone they do the same thing. If you try to output the result of them as an expression then they may differ. Try alert(i++) as compared to alert(++i) to see the difference. i++ evaluates to i before the addition and ++i does the addition before evaluating.
See http://jsfiddle.net/xaDC4/ for an example.
I've an explanation of understanding post-increment and pre-increment. So I'm putting it here.
Lets assign 0 to x
let x = 0;
Lets start with post-increment
console.log(x++); // Outputs 0
Why?
Lets break the x++ expression down
x = x;
x = x + 1;
First statement returns the value of x which is 0
And later when you use x variable anywhere, then the second statement is executed
Second statement returns the value of this x + 1 expression which is (0 + 1) = 1
Keep in mind the value of x at this state which is 1
Now lets start with pre-increment
console.log(++x); // Outputs 2
Why?
Lets break the ++x expression down
x = x + 1;
x = x;
First statement returns the value of this x + 1 expression which is (1 + 1) = 2
Second statement returns the value of x which is 2 so x = 2 thus it returns 2
Hope this would help you understand what post-increment and pre-increment are!
var a = 1;
var b = ++a;
alert('a:' + a + ';b:' + b); //a:2;b:2
var c = 1;
var d = c++;
alert('c:' + c + ';d:' + d); //c:2;d:1
jsfiddle
var x = 0, y = 0;
//post-increment: i++ returns value then adds one to it
console.log('x++ will log: ', x++); //0
console.log('x after x++ : ', x); //1
//pre-increment: adds one to the value, then returns it
console.log('++y will log: ', ++y); //1
console.log('y after ++y : ', y); //1
It is clearer and faster to use ++i if possible :
++i guarantees that you are using a value of i that will remains the same unless you change i
i++ allows to use a value of i which will change in the "near future", it is not desirable if possible
Of course, it's not really much faster, only a little.
In JavaScript you can use ++ operator before (pre-increment) or after the variable name (post-increment). What, if any, are the differences between these ways of incrementing a variable?
Same as in other languages:
++x (pre-increment) means "increment the variable; the value of the expression is the final value"
x++ (post-increment) means "remember the original value, then increment the variable; the value of the expression is the original value"
Now when used as a standalone statement, they mean the same thing:
x++;
++x;
The difference comes when you use the value of the expression elsewhere. For example:
x = 0;
y = array[x++]; // This will get array[0]
x = 0;
y = array[++x]; // This will get array[1]
++x increments the value, then evaluates and stores it.
x++ evaluates the value, then increments and stores it.
var n = 0, m = 0;
alert(n++); /* Shows 0, then stores n = 1 */
alert(++m); /* Shows 1, then stores m = 1 */
Note that there are slight performance benefits to using ++x where possible, because you read the variable, modify it, then evaluate and store it. Versus the x++ operator where you read the value, evaluate it, modify it, then store it.
As I understand them if you use them standalone they do the same thing. If you try to output the result of them as an expression then they may differ. Try alert(i++) as compared to alert(++i) to see the difference. i++ evaluates to i before the addition and ++i does the addition before evaluating.
See http://jsfiddle.net/xaDC4/ for an example.
I've an explanation of understanding post-increment and pre-increment. So I'm putting it here.
Lets assign 0 to x
let x = 0;
Lets start with post-increment
console.log(x++); // Outputs 0
Why?
Lets break the x++ expression down
x = x;
x = x + 1;
First statement returns the value of x which is 0
And later when you use x variable anywhere, then the second statement is executed
Second statement returns the value of this x + 1 expression which is (0 + 1) = 1
Keep in mind the value of x at this state which is 1
Now lets start with pre-increment
console.log(++x); // Outputs 2
Why?
Lets break the ++x expression down
x = x + 1;
x = x;
First statement returns the value of this x + 1 expression which is (1 + 1) = 2
Second statement returns the value of x which is 2 so x = 2 thus it returns 2
Hope this would help you understand what post-increment and pre-increment are!
var a = 1;
var b = ++a;
alert('a:' + a + ';b:' + b); //a:2;b:2
var c = 1;
var d = c++;
alert('c:' + c + ';d:' + d); //c:2;d:1
jsfiddle
var x = 0, y = 0;
//post-increment: i++ returns value then adds one to it
console.log('x++ will log: ', x++); //0
console.log('x after x++ : ', x); //1
//pre-increment: adds one to the value, then returns it
console.log('++y will log: ', ++y); //1
console.log('y after ++y : ', y); //1
It is clearer and faster to use ++i if possible :
++i guarantees that you are using a value of i that will remains the same unless you change i
i++ allows to use a value of i which will change in the "near future", it is not desirable if possible
Of course, it's not really much faster, only a little.
In JavaScript you can use ++ operator before (pre-increment) or after the variable name (post-increment). What, if any, are the differences between these ways of incrementing a variable?
Same as in other languages:
++x (pre-increment) means "increment the variable; the value of the expression is the final value"
x++ (post-increment) means "remember the original value, then increment the variable; the value of the expression is the original value"
Now when used as a standalone statement, they mean the same thing:
x++;
++x;
The difference comes when you use the value of the expression elsewhere. For example:
x = 0;
y = array[x++]; // This will get array[0]
x = 0;
y = array[++x]; // This will get array[1]
++x increments the value, then evaluates and stores it.
x++ evaluates the value, then increments and stores it.
var n = 0, m = 0;
alert(n++); /* Shows 0, then stores n = 1 */
alert(++m); /* Shows 1, then stores m = 1 */
Note that there are slight performance benefits to using ++x where possible, because you read the variable, modify it, then evaluate and store it. Versus the x++ operator where you read the value, evaluate it, modify it, then store it.
As I understand them if you use them standalone they do the same thing. If you try to output the result of them as an expression then they may differ. Try alert(i++) as compared to alert(++i) to see the difference. i++ evaluates to i before the addition and ++i does the addition before evaluating.
See http://jsfiddle.net/xaDC4/ for an example.
I've an explanation of understanding post-increment and pre-increment. So I'm putting it here.
Lets assign 0 to x
let x = 0;
Lets start with post-increment
console.log(x++); // Outputs 0
Why?
Lets break the x++ expression down
x = x;
x = x + 1;
First statement returns the value of x which is 0
And later when you use x variable anywhere, then the second statement is executed
Second statement returns the value of this x + 1 expression which is (0 + 1) = 1
Keep in mind the value of x at this state which is 1
Now lets start with pre-increment
console.log(++x); // Outputs 2
Why?
Lets break the ++x expression down
x = x + 1;
x = x;
First statement returns the value of this x + 1 expression which is (1 + 1) = 2
Second statement returns the value of x which is 2 so x = 2 thus it returns 2
Hope this would help you understand what post-increment and pre-increment are!
var a = 1;
var b = ++a;
alert('a:' + a + ';b:' + b); //a:2;b:2
var c = 1;
var d = c++;
alert('c:' + c + ';d:' + d); //c:2;d:1
jsfiddle
var x = 0, y = 0;
//post-increment: i++ returns value then adds one to it
console.log('x++ will log: ', x++); //0
console.log('x after x++ : ', x); //1
//pre-increment: adds one to the value, then returns it
console.log('++y will log: ', ++y); //1
console.log('y after ++y : ', y); //1
It is clearer and faster to use ++i if possible :
++i guarantees that you are using a value of i that will remains the same unless you change i
i++ allows to use a value of i which will change in the "near future", it is not desirable if possible
Of course, it's not really much faster, only a little.
Please consider this snippet of code:
var i = 1;
i = i-- + ++i;
My understanding of the order in which the operators & operands are processed is as follows:
i is incremented by 1 (pre-fix increment)
i is added to i( addition )
i is decremented by 1(post-fix decrement)
The value of the right hand side is assigned to i (assignment operation)
If my understanding is correct, i should end up having a value of 3. However, I printed out the result using some online javascript interpreter, and the end value of i is 2.
Where did I get wrong?
var i = 1;
i = i-- + ++i;
this is how the compiler will go about working through this code
create a variable called i
set the value of i to 1
(rhs first element) take value of i (1) decrement value (i is now 0)
(rhs second element) increment value of i (i is now 1)
set the value of i to rhs (2)
JavaScript always evaluates subexpressions in a left-to-right order, and then applies the operator:
// parentheses added for clarity
i = (i--) + (++i); // i = 1
i = 1 + (++i); // i = 0 after i--
i = 1 + 1 ; // i = 1 after ++i
i = 2 ;
Understanding the logic with precedence values:
var i = 1;
i = i-- + ++i;
prefix increment(++i) precedence = 17
postfix decrement(i--) precedence = 16
addition(+) precedence = 14
i = 1 + 1
i = 2
More precedence related info can be found in,
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Operator_Precedence
The for loop bellow works as it was intended, but I just do not understand why.
for (var i = 10;i--;) {
console.log("i: " + i);
}
console: >> 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0
I googled for the falsy values: 0 and -0 .. (what does -0 mean ?) But if 0 is considered to be falsy, why the for loop gets evaluated with it ? Actually the original code sample actually look like this:
for (var i = e.length; i--; )
e[i].apply(this, [args || {}]);
It looks cool, but I just do not get why it works.
In the for condition in
for (var i = 10;i--;) {
console.log("i: " + i);
}
the i is evaluated before being decreased (due to the post-decrement operator). Hence it is 1 in the condition and 0 when you actually print it out.
Roberto Reale explained the reason, but I think this problem can also be solved by using the 3 statements in the for loop:
for (var i = 9; i >= 0; i--) {
console.log("i: " + i);
}
It will display integers from 9 to 0.