Chapter 5

Looping
Namiq Sultan
University of Duhok
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Reference: Starting Out with C++, Tony Gaddis, 2nd Ed.

C++ Programming, Namiq Sultan 1

5.1 The Increment and Decrement Operators

• ++ and -- are operators that add and subtract one from their
operands.

num = num + 1;
num += 1;
num++;

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 Program 5-1
// This program demonstrates the increment and decrement operators.
 int main()
{
int bigVal = 10, smallVal = 1;
  cout << "bigVal is " << bigVal << " and smallVal is " << smallVal << endl;
smallVal++;
bigVal--;
cout << "bigVal is " << bigVal << " and smallVal is " << smallVal << endl;
++smallVal;
--bigVal;
cout << "bigVal is " << bigVal << " and smallVal is " << smallVal << endl;
return 0;
}

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 Program Output

bigVal is 10 and smallVal is 1

bigVal is 9 and smallVal is 2
bigVal is 8 and smallVal is 3

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 Program 5-2
//prefix and postfix modes of the increment and decrement operators.
int main()
{
int bigVal = 10, smallVal = 1;
  cout << "bigVal starts as " << bigVal;
cout << " and smallVal starts as " << smallVal << endl;
cout << "bigVal--: " << bigVal-- << endl;
cout << "smallVal++: " << smallVal++ << endl;
cout << "Now bigVal is: " << bigVal << endl;
cout << "Now smallVal is: " << smallVal << endl;
cout << "--bigVal: " << --bigVal << endl;
cout << "++smallVal: " << ++smallVal << endl;
return 0;
}

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Program Output

bigVal starts as 10 and smallVal starts as 1

bigVal--: 10
smallVal++: 1
Now bigVal is: 9
Now smallVal is: 2
--bigVal: 8
++smallVal: 3

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Using ++ and -- in Mathematical Expressions

a = 2;
b = 5;
c = a * b++;
cout << a << " " << b << " " << c;

Results: 2 6 10

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Using ++ and -- in Relational Expressions

x = 10;
if ( x++ > 10)
cout << "x is greater than 10.\n";

• Two operations are happening:

• the value in x is tested to determine if it is greater than 10
• then x is incremented

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 5.2 Introduction to Loops - The while Loop
• A loop is part of a program that
repeats.
• A while loop is a "pre test" loop - the
expression is tested before the loop is
executed

Initialize control variable

while(expression)
{
statement;
statement;
...
}

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 Program 5-3
// This program demonstrates a simple while loop.
void main()
{
int number;
 
cout << "This program will print numbers from 0 to 99:\n";
number = 0;
while (number <= 99){
cout << number << endl;
number++;
}
return 0;
}

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Program Output with Example Input

This program will print numbers from 0 to 99:

0
1
2
3
4
.
.
99

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 Terminating a Loop

• A loop that does not have a way of stopping is called an

infinite loop
int test = 0;
while (test < 10)
cout << "Hello\n";

• A null statement is also an infinite loop, but it does nothing

forever:
while (test < 10);

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5.3 Counters

• A counter is a variable that is incremented or decremented

each time a loop iterates.

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Program 5-4

// This program displays the numbers 1 through 10 and their squares.

int main()
{
int num = 1; // Initialize counter
cout << "number number Squared\n";
cout << "--------------------------------------\n";
while (num <= 10) // Test counter
{
cout << num << "\t\t" << (num * num) << endl;
num++; // Increment counter
}
return 0;
}
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Program Output

number number Squared

----------------------------
1 1
2 4
3 9
4 16
5 25
6 36
7 49
8 64
9 81
10 100

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5.4 Letting the User Control the Loop

• We can let the user indicate the number of times a loop

should repeat.

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 Program 5-6
// This program averages a set of test scores for multiple students.
void main()
{
int numStudents, count = 0;
int score1, score2, score3;
float average;

  cout << "How many students do you have test scores for? ";
cin >> numStudents;
cout << "Enter the scores for each of the students.\n";

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 while (count++ < numStudents)
{
cout << "\nStudent " << count << ": ";
cin >> score1 >> score2 >> score3;
average = (score1 + score2 + score3) / 3.0;
cout << "The average is " << average << ".\n";
}
return 0;
}

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 Program Output with Example Input
This program will give you the average of three test scores per student.
How many students do you have test scores for? 3 [Enter]
Enter the scores for each of the students.

Student 1: 75 80 82 [Enter]
The average is 79.

Student 2: 85 85 90 [Enter]
The average is 86.67.
 
Student 3: 60 75 88 [Enter]
The average is 74.33.

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 5.7 The do-while Loop and for Loops
• A do-while loop is similar to a while loop, but in post-test format.
• This means do-while always performs at least one iteration, even
if the test expression is false from the start.

do{
statement;
Statement(s)
statement;
. . .
expn
}while(expression); True
False

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Program 5-9
//This program repeats as many times as the user wishes
int main()
{
int score1, score2, score3;
float average;
char again;
do {
cout << "Enter 3 scores and I will average them: ";
cin >> score1 >> score2 >> score3;
average = (score1 + score2 + score3) / 3.0;
cout << "The average is " << average << ".\n";
cout << "Do you want to average another set? (Y/N) ";
cin >> again;
} while (again == 'Y' || again == 'y');
return 0;
} C++ Programming, Namiq Sultan 21
  Program Output with Example Input

Enter 3 scores and I will average them: 80 90 70 [Enter]

The average is 80.

Do you want to average another set? (Y/N) y [Enter]

Enter 3 scores and I will average them: 60 75 88 [Enter]

The average is 74.333336.

Do you want to average another set? (Y/N) n [Enter]

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The for Loop

• Ideal for situations that require a counter because it has

built-in expressions that initialize and update variables.

for (initialization; test; update)

statement;

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Program 5-11

// This program displays the numbers 1 through 10 and their squares.

int main()
{
int num;
 
cout << "Number Number Squared\n";
cout << "--------------------------------------\n";
 
for (num = 1; num <= 10; num++)
cout << num << "\t\t" << (num * num) << endl;
return 0;
}

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Program Output

Number Number Squared

-------------------------
1 1
2 4
3 9
4 16
5 25
6 36
7 49
8 64
9 81
10 100

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5.8 Deciding Which Loop to Use
• The while Loop
• A pre-test loop.
• Use when you do not want the loop to iterate if the condition is false
from the beginning.
• Ideal if you want to use a sentinel (see problem 5 slide 37).
• The do-while Loop
• A post-test loop.
• Use if you always want the loop to iterate at least once.
• The for Loop
• A pre-test loop.
• Automatically executes an update expression at the end of each iteration.
• Used when the exact number of required iterations is known.

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 Random Number Generation
• rand(): returns a random number (int) between 0 and the largest int the
compute holds. Yields same sequence of numbers each time program is run.
• srand(x): initializes random number generator with unsigned int x

#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib> // for srand() function
#include <ctime> // for time() function
using namespace std;
int main()
{ int a;
srand(time(0));
for(int i=0; i<10; i++)
cout<<rand()/1000<<" ";
return 0;
}

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5.9 Nested Loops

• A loop that is inside another loop is called a nested loop.

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 Program 5-13
// This program averages test scores. It asks the user for the
// number of students and the number of test scores per student.

int main()
{
int numStudents, numTests, total, score;;
float average;
  cout << "This program averages test scores.\n";
cout << "For how many students do you have scores? ";
cin >> numStudents;
cout << "How many test scores does each student have? ";
cin >> numTests;

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 for (int count1 = 1; count1 <= numStudents; count1++)
{
total = 0; // Initialize accumulator
for (int count2 = 1; count2 <= numTests; count2++)
{
cout << "Enter score " << count2 << " for ";
cout << "student " << count1 << ": ";
cin >> score;
total += score; // accumulate running total
}
average = total / numTests;
cout << "The average score for student " << count1;
cout << " is " << average << ".\n\n";
}
return 0;
}

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Program Output with Example Input
This program averages test scores.
For how many students do you have scores? 2 [Enter]
How many test scores does each student have? 3 [Enter]
Enter score 1 for student 1: 84 [Enter]
Enter score 2 for student 1: 79 [Enter]
Enter score 3 for student 1: 97 [Enter]
The average for student 1 is 86.
 
Enter score 1 for student 2: 92 [Enter]
Enter score 2 for student 2: 88 [Enter]
Enter score 3 for student 2: 94 [Enter]
The average for student 2 is 91.

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5.10 Breaking Out of a Loop

• The break statement causes a loop to terminate early.

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Program 5-14
// This program raises the user's number to the powers of 0 through 10.
#include <iostream>
#include <math>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
int value;
char choice;
  cout << "Enter a number: ";
cin >> value;
cout << "This program will raise " << value;
cout << " to the powers of 0 through 10.\n";

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 for (int count = 0; count < 10; count++)
{
cout << value << " raised to the power of ";
cout << count << " is " << pow(value, count);
cout << "\nEnter Q to quit or any other key ";
cout << "to continue. ";
cin >> choice;
if (choice == 'Q' || choice == 'q')
break;
}
return 0;
}

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Program Output

Enter a number: 2 [Enter]

This program will raise 2 to the powers of 0 through 10.
2 raised to the power of 0 is 1
Enter Q to quit or any other key to
continue. C [Enter]
2 raised to the power of 1 is 2
Enter Q to quit or any other key to continue. C [Enter]
2 raised to the power of 2 is 4
Enter Q to quit or any other key to continue. Q [Enter]

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Using break in a nested loop
• The break statement below breaks out of the inner loop but NOT
the outer loop
for(int row = 0; row < 5; row++)
{ //begin outer loop
for(star = 0; star < 20; star++)
{ //begin inner loop
…………// some statements
break;
…………// some more statements
} //end inner loop
} //end outer loop

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 Problems
1. Find the sum of the numbers 1, 2, 3, …, 40.
2. Find the sum of the odd numbers between 1 and 40.
3. Find the sum and average of odd numbers between 1 and 40.
4. Print the characters ‘A’, …, ‘Z’ along with their ASCII code equivalents.
The table should be displayed as the following:
A = 65
B = 66
.
.
Z = 90

5. Write a program that reads a set of numbers, and adds them together. The
program is terminated when the user inputs 0. Then the result of added
numbers is printed out.

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 Problems
6. Write programs that print the following shapes using loop statements.
* * 1 *
** ** 12 **
*** *** 123 * *
**** **** 1234 * *
***** ***** 12345 * *
****** ****** 123456 * *
******* ******* *******

7. What is the output of the following statements?

for (int i=1; i<=10; i++){
for (int j=1; j<=10-i; j++)
cout<<‘*’;
cout<< endl;
}
8. Find the result of the following summation, where n is an integer read from
the keyboard.
n
i2
i 1 i 1 38