Chapter 3: Expressions and Interactivity

Starting Out with C++

Early Objects
Seventh Edition

by Tony Gaddis, Judy Walters,

and Godfrey Muganda

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

 Topics
3.1 The cin Object
3.2 Mathematical Expressions
3.3 Implicit Type Conversion
3.4 Explicit Type Conversion
3.5 Overflow and Underflow
3.6 Named Constants

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 Topics (continued)
3.7 Multiple and Combined Assignment
3.8 Formatting Output
3.9 Working with Characters and String
Objects
3.10 Using C-Strings
3.11 More Mathematical Library Functions
3.12 Introduction to Files

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 3.1 The cin Object
• Standard input object
• Like cout, requires iostream file
• Used to read input from keyboard
• Often used with cout to display a user
prompt first
• Data is retrieved from cin with >>
• Input data is stored in one or more
variables
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 The cin Object

• User input goes from keyboard to the input

buffer, where it is stored as characters
• cin converts the data to the type that
matches the variable
int height;
cout << "How tall is the room? ";
cin >> height;

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 The cin Object

• Can be used to input multiple values

cin >> height >> width;
• Multiple values from keyboard must be separated
by spaces or [Enter]
• Must press [Enter] after typing last value
• Multiple values need not all be of the same type
• Order is important; first value entered is stored in
first variable, etc.

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 3.2 Mathematical Expressions
• An expression can be a constant, a
variable, or a combination of constants
and variables combined with operators
• Can create complex expressions using
multiple mathematical operators
• Examples of mathematical expressions:
• 2
• height
• a + b / c
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 Using Mathematical Expressions

• Can be used in assignment statements, with

cout, and in other types of statements
• Examples: This is an
expression
area = 2 * PI * radius;
cout << "border is: " << (2*(l+w));

These are
expressions

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 Order of Operations

• In an expression with > 1 operator,

evaluate in this order
Do first: - (unary negation) in order, left to right
Do next: * / % in order, left to right
Do last: + - in order, left to right
• In the expression 2 + 2 * 2 – 2 ,
Evaluate Evaluate Evaluate
2nd 1st 3rd

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 Associativity of Operators

• - (unary negation) associates right to left

• * / % + - all associate left to right
• parentheses ( ) can be used to override the
order of operations
2 + 2 * 2 – 2 = 4
(2 + 2) * 2 – 2 = 6
2 + 2 * (2 – 2) = 2
(2 + 2) * (2 – 2) = 0

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 Algebraic Expressions
• Multiplication requires an operator
Area = lw is written as Area = l * w;
• There is no exponentiation operator
Area = s2 is written as Area = pow(s, 2);
(note: pow requires the cmath header file)
• Parentheses may be needed to maintain order of
operations
y 2  y1 is written as
m
x 2  x1 m = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1);

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 3.3 Implicit Type Conversion

• Operations are performed between

operands of the same type
• If not of the same type, C++ will
automatically convert one to be the type of
the other
• This can impact the results of calculations

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 Hierarchy of Data Types
long double
• Highest double
float
unsigned long
long
unsigned int
int
unsigned short
short
• Lowest char
• Ranked by largest number they can hold

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 Type Coercion
• Coercion: automatic conversion of an
operand to another data type
• Promotion: converts to a higher type
• Demotion: converts to a lower type

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 Coercion Rules

1) char, short, unsigned short are

automatically promoted to int
2) When operating on values of different
data types, the lower one is promoted
to the type of the higher one.
3) When using the = operator, the type of
expression on right will be converted to
the type of variable on left

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 3.4 Explicit Type Conversion

• Also called type casting

• Used for manual data type conversion
• Format
static_cast<type>(expression)
• Example:
cout << static_cast<char>(65);
// Displays 'A'

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 More Type Casting Examples

char ch = 'C';
cout << ch << " is stored as "
<< static_cast<int>(ch);

gallons = static_cast<int>(area/500);

avg = static_cast<double>(sum)/count;

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 Older Type Cast Styles

double Volume = 21.58;

int intVol1, intVol2;
intVol1 = (int) Volume; // C-style
// cast
intVol2 = int (Volume); //Prestandard
// C++ style
// cast
C-style cast uses prefix notation
Prestandard C++ cast uses functional notation
static_cast is the current standard

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 3.5 Overflow and Underflow

• Occurs when assigning a value that is too

large (overflow) or too small (underflow) to
be held in a variable
• The variable contains a value that is
‘wrapped around’ the set of possible values

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 Overflow Example

// Create a short int initialized to

// the largest value it can hold
short int num = 32767;

cout << num; // Displays 32767

num = num + 1;
cout << num; // Displays -32768

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 Handling Overflow and Underflow

Different systems handle the problem

differently. They may
– display a warning / error message
– display a dialog box and ask what to do
– stop the program
– continue execution with the incorrect value

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 3.6 Named Constants
• Also called constant variables
• Variables whose content cannot be changed
during program execution
• Used for representing constant values with
descriptive names
const double TAX_RATE = 0.0675;
const int NUM_STATES = 50;
• Often named in uppercase letters
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 const vs. #define

#define no ;
goes here
– C-style of naming constants
#define NUM_STATES 50
– Interpreted by pre-processor rather than
compiler
– Does not occupy a memory location like a
constant variable defined with const
– Instead, causes a text substitution to occur. In
above example, every occurrence in program of
NUM_STATES will be replaced by 50
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 3.7 Multiple and Combined Assignment

• The assignment operator (=) can be used

more than 1 time in an expression
x = y = z = 5;
• Associates right to left
x = (y = (z = 5));
Done Done Done
3rd 2nd 1st

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 Combined Assignment

• Applies an arithmetic operation to a

variable and assigns the result as the new
value of that variable
• Operators: += -= *= /= %=
• Example:
• sum += amt; is short for sum = sum + amt;

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 More Examples

x += 5; means x = x + 5;
x -= 5; means x = x – 5;
x *= 5; means x = x * 5;
x /= 5; means x = x / 5;
x %= 5; means x = x % 5;
The right hand side is evaluated before the
combined assignment operation is done.
x *= a + b; means x = x * (a + b);

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 3.8 Formatting Output
• Can control how output displays for
numeric and string data
– size
– position
– number of digits
• Requires iomanip header file

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 Stream Manipulators

• Used to control features of an output field

• Some affect just the next value displayed
– setw(x): Print in a field at least x spaces
wide. Use more spaces if specified field width
is not big enough.

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 Stream Manipulators
• Some affect values until changed again
– fixed: Use decimal notation (not E-notation) for
floating-point values.
– setprecision(x):
• When used with fixed, print floating-point value using x
digits after the decimal.
• Without fixed, print floating-point value using x significant
digits.
– showpoint: Always print decimal for floating-point
values.
– left, right: left-, right justification of value

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 Manipulator Examples

const float e = 2.718;

float price = 18.0; Displays
cout << setw(8) << e << endl; ^^^2.718
cout << left << setw(8) << e
<< endl; 2.718^^^
cout << setprecision(2);
cout << e << endl; 2.7
cout << fixed << e << endl; 2.72
cout << setw(6) << price; ^18.00
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 3.9 Working with Characters and String
Objects

• char: holds a single character

• string: holds a sequence of characters

• Both can be used in assignment statements

• Both can be displayed with cout and <<

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 String Input

Reading in a string object

string str;
cin >> str; // Reads in a string
// with no blanks
getline(cin, str); // Reads in a string
// that may contain
// blanks

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 Character Input

Reading in a character
char ch;
cin >> ch; // Reads in any non-blank char
cin.get(ch); // Reads in any char
cin.ignore(); // Skips over next char in
// the input buffer

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 String Operators

= Assigns a value to a string

string words;
words = "Tasty ";

+ Joins two strings together

string s1 = "hot", s2 = "dog";
string food = s1 + s2; // food = "hotdog"
+= Concatenates a string onto the end of another one
words += food; // words now = "Tasty hotdog"

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 3.10 Using C-Strings
• C-string is stored as an array of characters
• Programmer must indicate maximum number of
characters at definition
const int SIZE = 5;
char temp[SIZE] = "Hot";
• NULL character (\0) is placed after final
character to mark the end of the string
H o t \0
• Programmer must make sure array is big enough
for desired use; temp can hold up to 4
characters plus the \0.
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 C-String Input
• Reading in a C-string
const int SIZE = 10;
char Cstr[SIZE];
cin >> Cstr; // Reads in a C-string with no
// blanks. Will write past the
// end of the array if input string
// is too long.
cin.getline(Cstr, 10);
// Reads in a C-string that may
// contain blanks. Ensures that <= 9
// chars are read in.
• Can also use setw() and width() to control input field
widths

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 C-String Initialization vs. Assignment
• A C-string can be initialized at the time of its
creation, just like a string object
const int SIZE = 10;
char month[SIZE] = "April";
• However, a C-string cannot later be assigned a
value using the = operator; you must use the
strcpy() function
char month[SIZE];
month = "August" // wrong!
strcpy(month, "August"); //correct
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 3.11 More Mathematical Library
Functions
• These require cmath header file
• Take double arguments and return a
double
• Commonly used functions
abs Absolute value
sin Sine
cos Cosine
tan Tangent
sqrt Square root
log Natural (e) log
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 More Mathematical Library Functions

• These require cstdlib header file

• rand
– Returns a random number between 0 and the
largest int the computer holds
– Will yield same sequence of numbers each time
the program is run
• srand(x)
– Initializes random number generator with
unsigned int x
– Should be called at most once in a program

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 3.12 Introduction to Files

• Can use a file instead of keyboard for

program input
• Can use a file instead of monitor screen for
program output
• Files are stored on secondary storage media,
such as disk
• Files allow data to be retained between
program executions
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 What is Needed to Use Files
1. Include the fstream header file
2. Define a file stream object
• ifstream for input from a file
ifstream inFile;
• ofstream for output to a file
ofstream outFile;

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 Open the File

3. Open the file

• Use the open member function
inFile.open("inventory.dat");
outFile.open("report.txt");
• Filename may include drive, path info.
• Output file will be created if necessary;
existing output file will be erased first
• Input file must exist for open to work

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 Use the File

4. Use the file

• Can use output file object and << to send
data to a file
outFile << "Inventory report";
• Can use input file object and >> to copy
data from file to variables
inFile >> partNum;
inFile >> qtyInStock >> qtyOnOrder;
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 Close the File
5. Close the file
• Use the close member function
inFile.close();
outFile.close();
• Don’t wait for operating system to close
files at program end
– May be limit on number of open files
– May be buffered output data waiting to be
sent to a file that could be lost
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Chapter 3: Expressions and Interactivity

Starting Out with C++

Early Objects
Seventh Edition

by Tony Gaddis, Judy Walters,

and Godfrey Muganda

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley