quick question

[Joliedoll]

I have this question for a homework assignment:

The following program segment is not supposed to print anything, yet it outputs the first error message, "Error in maximum: 100". What’s wrong, and how would you correct it? Why doesn’t the code output both error messages?

maximum = 75
minimum = 25;
If (maximum = 100)
cout << "Error in maximum: "<< maximum << endl;
If (minimum = 0)
cout << "Error in minimum: "<< minimum << endl;


Okay, so I believe it is because the maximum variable is set at 75. It's an assignment expression and not a logical expression which means that now the maximum has a value of 75 so, the if statement now causes an error. Now, as to why the code doesn't output both error messages, I am a little confused. Is it because it's set to 0?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advanced.

[firedraco]

Look more carefully at the if() statements.

[MYST]

in your if statement, equals is '==' not '='.

[Joliedoll]

So the if (maximum = 100) should be if (maximum == 75) since that is the value it was assigned to right? But then why isn't the minimum error coming up? Is it because it's just a 0?

[mcleano]

No. All they are saying is that your syntax is wrong. Look at what these lines do:

if(maximum = 100) // this changes maximum from 75 to 100
  ...
if(maximum == 100) // this checks to see if maximum equals 100
   ...

The same applies to your minimum code.

Also, it might be more logical to write, "if maximum/minimum is greater-than/smaller-than 75/25" respecitvely.

[Joliedoll]

Oh, this isn't a program I wrote. It's just a problem in the book.

I understand putting the logical expression in there (the ==), it's the minimum part that is throwing me off. The question says: why doesn't the code output both error messages? I understand why it would output the error of the maximum, but it's not outputting the minimum.

[Zhuge]

Look at what each variable is being assigned to.

[Joliedoll]

So since the minimum is assigned to 0, that's why it output an error message?
Because doesn't 0 mean false?

[firedraco]

0 DOES mean false, which is exactly why it DOESN'T print anything. if(false) //... will never execute.

[Joliedoll]

that's what I thought, thanks!