Showing highest and lowest (Homework)

[leandro]

Well they want me to keep asking for numbers, once the user puts in a negative number the program is supposed to stop and inform the highest and the lowest number that the user provided. But the thing is, I am not sure if the negative number counts and so far I got it working if that's the case.
Can someone help me with getting the lowest not to get the negative number?

here's what I have so far.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()

{
float A, LOW=1000000, HIGH=0;

do
  {
      cout << "Please pick any number: " <<endl;
      cin >> A; 
      if (A>=HIGH)
      {
         HIGH = A;
         cout << endl << "NEW HIGH" << endl << endl;
      }
      if (A<=LOW)
      {
         LOW = A;
         cout << endl << "NEW LOW" << endl << endl;
      }
  }
while (A>0);
cout << "The highest number you picked was: " << HIGH << endl;
cout << "The lowest number you picked was: " << LOW << endl;
system ("PAUSE");
return 0;

[Albatross]

It looks like it does count. Check to make sure the number is not negative BEFORE you run the comparisons, and if so, break the loop.

-Albatross

[leandro]

I got it, thanks for the help :P simple stuff just didn't think the right way.


SOLUTION

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()

{
float A, LOW=1000000, HIGH=0;

cout << "Please pick any number: " <<endl;
cin >> A; 
if (A>=0)
{
   do
     {
         cout << "Please pick any number: " <<endl;
         cin >> A; 
         if ((A>=HIGH) && (A>=0))
            {
            HIGH = A;
            cout << endl << "NEW HIGH" << endl << endl;
             }
            if ((A<=LOW) && (A>=0))
            {
             LOW = A;
              cout << endl << "NEW LOW" << endl << endl;
          }
          }
   
while (A>0);
}
cout << "The highest number you picked was: " << HIGH << endl;
cout << "The lowest number you picked was: " << LOW << endl;
system ("PAUSE");
return 0;
}

[Albatross]

Extra detail: What if A is equal to zero? That would terminate your loop.

-Albatross

[elvenspike]

This was such a hack-y and pointless solution that I almost cried...
You just placed an if around a do...
Correct me if I'm wrong, the point of using the do is so that the check is performed after the code is run. Don't put an if around it. Use a while loop.
Real Solution :

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()

{
int A, LOW=std::numeric_limits<int>::max(), HIGH=0;
// why were you using a float there? seems kinda weird...
// I changed your low to be the highest integer the computer can handle. :3

cout << "Please pick any number: " <<endl;
cin >> A; 
while (A>=0)
{
         cout << "Please pick any number: " <<endl;
         cin >> A; 
         if ((A>=HIGH) && (A>=0))
            {
            HIGH = A;
            cout << endl << "NEW HIGH" << endl << endl;
             }
            if ((A<=LOW) && (A>=0))
            {
             LOW = A;
              cout << endl << "NEW LOW" << endl << endl;
          }
          }

cout << "The highest number you picked was: " << HIGH << endl;
cout << "The lowest number you picked was: " << LOW << endl;
getch(); // Don't use system... :S
return 0;
}

[leandro]

lol that made me laught a good bit.
well everything worked out besides the getch(); part. why should I use system?
and I also fixed some stuff up on the code since it was saying stuff i didnt want it to.
i just left the system in becuase i dont know what it does, and the float thing was becuase i didnt know what to put, thanks for the tips, i was wondering if i could put it to the limit.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()

{
float A, LOW=std::numeric_limits<int>::max(), HIGH=0;

cout << "Please pick any number: " <<endl;
cin >> A; 
HIGH = A;
cout << "FIRST NUMBER" << endl << endl;
while (A>=0)
     {
         cout << "Please pick any number: " <<endl;
         cin >> A; 
         if ((A>=HIGH) && (A>=0))
            {
            HIGH = A;
            cout << endl << "NEW HIGH" << endl << endl;
             }
            if ((A<=LOW) && (A>=0) && (A<HIGH))
            {
             LOW = A;
              cout << endl << "NEW LOW" << endl << endl;
          }
          }

cout << "The highest number you picked was: " << HIGH << endl;
cout << "The lowest number you picked was: " << LOW << endl;
system ("PAUSE");
return 0;
}

please give me some more adive if you see anything wrong, thats the easiest way to learn.

[Albatross]

Most people here hate system() because while it provides lots of extra functionality without writing extra code, it has horrible overhead, is a potential security hole, and above all is platform dependent.

Seriously, don't use system() if you want to avoid getting bashed on this forum.

-Albatross

[leandro]

new problem, whenever I put in numbers but they only go up (15, 17, 18, -1) it gives me a weird error as the lowest... how do i fix it now?

i tried putting LOW = 0 in the begging but then it just kept 0 as the lowest the whole time.

what do i use instead of system() though? the other one on the code that he wrote doesnt work.

[Archaic]

(15, 17, 18, -1)

The problem here is that the first number entered is not counting towards the LOW, but it is counting towards HIGH. Since all the subsequent non-negative numbers are above the initial number, nothing is being assigned to LOW. Consequently LOW is just outputting whatever value is in the memory.

[elvenspike]

Sorry, that was my bad.
I forgot that it was a part of conio.
Add the following after your first include: #include <conio.h>
Then getch(); will work.
Basically, what getch does is it takes the input of one character.
So the program will hang until a key is pressed.