Tips on Shortening?

[PopEye]

Hello. I'm new to C++ and read several books on C++ for beginners. After indulging in some knowledge I wrote my own 'Guess the Number' game. Check it out:

/* Created by PopEye || Brian S. */
/* Usually used for demonstration */

#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
using namespace std;

void ShowIntro (void);

int main (void)
{
	const short MAX = 3;
	short sNum,yANS, counter = 0, aENT[MAX], n = 0;
	
	srand((unsigned short)time(NULL));
	sNum = rand () % 10 + 1;

	ShowIntro();
	
	do
	{
		cout << "Pick a number between 1 and 10: ";
		cin >> yANS;

			counter++;

		if (yANS < 1)
			yANS = 1;
		else if (yANS > 10)
			yANS = 10;
		if (sNum > yANS)
			cout << "You are guessing low\n" << endl;
		else if (sNum < yANS)
			cout << "You are guessing high\n" << endl;
		
		short m = 0;
		
		while (m != 1)
		{

			aENT[n] = yANS;
			n++;
			m++;
		}

	}
	while ((yANS != sNum) && (counter != 3));

	if (counter == 1 && yANS == sNum)
	{
		cout << "Nice Job! Right on your first try too!\n";
		cout << "Showing attemps now...\n" << endl;
		cout << "*********************\n";
	}
	else if (counter == 2 && yANS == sNum)
	{
		cout << "Good job! Right on your second try too!\n";
		cout << "Showing attemps now...\n" << endl;
		cout << "*********************\n";
	}
	else if (counter == 3 && yANS == sNum)
	{
		cout << "Lucky! You got the number correct on your last try!\n";
		cout << "Showing attemps now...\n" << endl;
		cout << "*********************\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Sorry! You failed to figure out the number...\n";
		cout << "The number was " << sNum << '\n';
		cout << "Showing attemps now...\n" << endl;
		cout << "*********************\n";
	}

	for (short i = 0; i < counter; i++)
	{
		cout << "Attempt #" << i + 1 << " value is " << aENT[i] << '\n';
		cout << "Attempt #" << i + 1 << " address is " << aENT + i << '\n';
	}

	return 0;
}

void ShowIntro (void)
{
	cout << "			Guess the Number! - v1.0\n";
	cout << '\n';
	cout << "**********\n";
	cout << "This game is rather... simple. You have 3 chances to guess the number.\n";
	cout << "If your guess is higher then the secret number, you will be notified if your \n";
	cout << "guess if high or low. That's all there is to it.\n";
	cout << "**********\n" << endl;
}

In finishing this game I felt accomplished. My question is that if there are any tips on shortening the length of the code. Thank you. I would really much appriciate it.

Edit 1: I forgot to mention that this game is on a Console Application. Also, the aENT + 1 was just to practice constant pointers like arrays. You can ignore that.

[helios]

What's the point of the while on line 3139? It will always run exactly once.

[PopEye]

Line 31 is:
yANS = 10;
If you meant line 48, I use the while because it's part of the do...while loop.

Edit 1:
Oh I see what you mean.

while (m != 1)
{

	aENT[n] = yANS;
	n++;
	m++;
}

Now that I think about it, you are correct. There is no need for the while to be there; also taking away the m variable. Thanks.

[helios]

Sorry. I meant 39.

[PopEye]

Yeah. I edited my 1st post that corresponds to your 1st answer. Thanks man.

Edit 1:
Any other tips?

[samusamu]

I hate (but this is personal) do while when the maximum number of loops is already known.
You might change the first do/while loop in the following way.
1st: initialize yANS to 0 (otherways if you are really unlucky, you might not enter the following cycle)
then write (in place of your do...while) the following cycle like

for (counter = 0; counter <3 && yAns!=sNum ; counter++)
{
        cout << "Pick a number between 1 and 10: ";
	cin >> yANS;
//start copy paste of your code
                 if (yANS < 1)
			yANS = 1;
		else if (yANS > 10)
			yANS = 10;
		if (sNum > yANS)
			cout << "You are guessing low\n" << endl;
		else if (sNum < yANS)
			cout << "You are guessing high\n" << endl;
//end copy paste of your code
        aENT[counter] = yANS;//<-you don't need n variable at all, counter does the job for you!
}

Moreover, you don't need the if (counter == 1 && yANS == sNum) elseif elseif else structure...
(if elseif elseif make it more difficult) Your counter already tells you if that guy won or not: if counter is 1,2,3 he won.
You might wanna use

switch (counter)
{
case 1:
cout << "Nice Job! Right on your first try too!\n";
break;//<-if you forget this C++ will go through all the subsequent cases
case 2:
cout << "Good job! Right on your second try too!\n";
break;
case 3:
cout << "Lucky! You got the number correct on your last try!\n";
//edit: I forgot to put the following line!
break;
default: //keyworld: it means in all the other cases (which for you is only 4, actually)
cout << "Sorry! You failed to figure out the number...\n";
cout << "The number was " << sNum << '\n';
}
//this part is common, so you write it only once
cout << "Showing attemps now...\n";
//put endl on next line so that you are sure your text is going to cout. with \n it might not !
cout << "*********************"<<endl;

The other part is fine.

[PopEye]

Thanks samusamu! I need to study your code for a while to actually get it in my system.

[Duthomhas]

[edit]@samusamu[/edit]
Loops are useful even if you know the number of iterations. The point is to reduce complexity, not repeat it N times.

If you are concerned about loop unwinding optimizations, then you should get yourself an assembler and play with that -- the C and C++ compilers are smart enough to do that kind of stuff for you.

[samusamu]

You are welcome!
If you think something is not clear, keep posting: I'll be glad to answer (but it might take time, I'm not always in this forum)

[Eduardo Fernandes]

The compiler also will have the same result using ifs and elses or switch, but in a case like this switch is much more clear and easy to understand for sure.

[Gaminic]

Are you sure? I don't know anything about how compilers work their magic, but in my head it would do this:

if-else: generates two "goto" labels, then jumps according to the result of the check.
switch: generates a "goto" label for each case, then jumps according to the value of your switch variable.

-> switch has 1 jump.
-> nested if-else has 1 jump for each if-else pair.

In cases of if (x == 5) { ... } else if (x == 6) { ... } I'd expect a compiler to realize it's a "noobie switch", but is that also the case with inequalities or compound conditions?

[kooth]

I use Crisco! Oh, not THAT kind of shortening ... sorry! ;)