Multi-lingual, random output-Hello World program

[LeeReissig]

Hello guys! absolute beginner here. trying to write a program that randomly displays one of these 6 phrases -

English Hello world!
Spanish Hola mundo!
Latin: Salve mundi!
German: Hallo Welt!
Chinese: Ni hao shijie!
Arabic: Maraba allam!

i figured i would use rand(), and limit it to the numbers 1 - 6, and then, using if statements, decide on which statement to display.

please help me out here, its not working out as i had planned


#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <ctime>
#include <cmath>

using namespace std;

int main()

{

unsigned seed = time(0);

srand(seed);

int x;

x = (1 + rand() % 6); // limits random numbers to 1 - 6

if (x = 1){
cout << "Hello world!";}

else if (x = 2) {
cout << "Hola mundo!";}

else if (x = 3) {
cout << "Salve mundi!";}

else if (x = 4) {
cout << "Hallo Welt!";}

else if (x = 5) {
cout << "Ni hao shijie!";}

else (x = 6); {
cout << "Maraba allam!";}

system("PAUSE");

return 0;

}


it displays "hello world" & "maraba allam" and im guessing thats because '1' & '6' are in the declaration line of x


any tips??????

[quirkyusername]

you're using the assignment operator if ( x = 1 ) not the comparison operator if ( x == 1 )

[appnerd]

DON'T USE SYSTEM PAUSE!!!! Use something like std::cin instead. System pause is platform specific, and lowers people's opinion of your coding ability.

[LeeReissig]

the course instructor specifically wants us to use system pause, its a beginning course. sorry man! lol i knew i was gonna catch some shit for that.

@quirkyusername thank you! it is working now but, any idea as to why it is also always displaying Maraba Allam?

[LeeReissig]

NVM! i just changed the last else to else if.

i was under the impression the last statement in an "if series" always had to be just else...

[filipe]

You can at least ask the instructor the reason why they're so resolute on teaching students sloppy habits.

More on topic, notice that else just means else, it can't have a condition attached to it. So this:

else (x == 6); {
cout << "Maraba allam!";}

particularly because you added a semicolon to the first line, is read as:

else {
    x == 6;
}
cout << "Maraba allam!";

which is why the last line is always printed.

[zjwugi]

because it is else (x = 6) not else (x == 6) ok?

[king214]

Wouldn't a switch case be better. Or does the "instructor" want you to use "if" statements...