More Loops; Arrays

ITP 165 Fall 2015

Week 4, Lecture 1

Nesting Loops A complex example

bool tryAgain = true;
while (tryAgain) {
int x = -1;
while (x < 0) {
std::cout << "Enter a number >= 0: ";
std::cin >> x;
if (x < 0) {
std::cout << "Invalid number." << std::endl;
}
}
int y = 1;
while (y > 0) {
std::cout << "Enter a number <= 0: ";
std::cin >> y;
if (y > 0) {
std::cout << "Invalid number." << std::endl;
}
}
std::string select;
std::cout << "Would you like to try again (y/n):";
std::cin >> select;
if (select == "n" || select == "no") {
tryAgain = false;
}
}

The complex example in action

Do-While Loop
int number = -1;
do
{
std::cout << "Enter a number >= 0: ";
std::cin >> number;
if (number < 0)
{
std::cout << "Invalid number." << std::endl;
}
}
while (number < 0);

1. Execute the body of the loop

2. Check the condition exit if false, otherwise start the next
iteration

Do-While Loop Syntax

do keyword

Body of the loop

do
{

std::cout << "In loop!" << std::endl;

i++;
}
while (i < 5);
while keyword

Condition (must
be in parenthesis)

Required
semicolon

Do-While vs. While

The only difference is that in a do-while loop, the body will
always execute once

In a while loop, the body will only execute initially if the

condition is true initially

Thats it!

For Loop
All loops can do the same things
Some loops are better than others in certain cases
While loops good when you dont know exactly when to end
Defined by some limit or user input

Do While loops good when you know you need it at least once, but
dont know when to end
Same as While loop

For loops good when you know how many times to run before you
end

For Loop
#include <iostream>
int main()
{
for (int index = 0; index < 10; index++)
{
std::cout << index << std::endl;
}

return 0;
}

For Loops

For keyword

Required parentheses

Loop index declaration

Required semicolons

Loop terminating condition

Index initial value

Index update

for (int index = 0; index < 10; index++)

{
std::cout << index << std::endl;
}
Body statements
Required braces

For Loops
The result of the program

For Loops
The index of the loop does not need to be used in the body
statements
It is a separate variable that is created within the scope of the loop
specifically for looping purposes
int counter = 0;
for (int index = 0; index < 10; index++)
{
std::cout << counter << std::endl;
counter++;
}

For Loops
Loop indexes dont have to be integers, but work best when they
are
Loop indexes dont have to increase by 1, but work best when they
do
Loop indexes can also decrease by 1 (--)
For Loops run as long as the conditional is true, which for integer
values is usually a set number of iterations.

For Loops
Hard to run in to an infinite loop with a for loop
But beware:
for (int index = 0; index < 10; index++)
{
std::cout << index << std::endl;
index--;
}

Loops in General
Loops have 3 defining features:
Intialization: Starting of the loop index
Condition: Must be true for loop to continue
Update: Changes in loop index

While loops:
Initialization: happens BEFORE THE LOOP
Condition: happens when DEFINING THE LOOP
Update: happens IN THE LOOP

For loops:
Initialization, Condition, Update: happens when DEFINING THE LOOP

Loops in General
int lIndex = 0;
while (lIndex < 10)
{
//body statements...
lIndex++;
}

Initialization
Conditon
Update

for (int lIndex = 0; lIndex < 10; lIndex++)

{
//body statements
}

Problem: Class Roster

Suppose we have 5 students in a class
We want to store the names of students in variables. Based on
what weve covered so far, wed have to make 5 different string
variables:
std::string name1 = "James";
std::string name2 = "Mary";
std::string name3 = "John";
std::string name4 = "Patricia";
std::string name5 = "Robert";

Problem: Outputting Class Roster

Then to output the class roster, we would have to say:
std::cout << name1 << std::endl;
std::cout << name2 << std::endl;
std::cout << name3 << std::endl;
std::cout << name4 << std::endl;
std::cout << name5 << std::endl;

Arrays
An array is a collection of one or more elements that share the
same type

So rather than having five separate name variables, we can have

one name array that contains all five names!

Declaring an Array

Name of the array

(in this case, myArray)

Number of elements
in array (must be in
square brackets)

int myArray[10];

Type of data in the array

(in this case, int)

End of
statement

Array Indices
To access a specific element in an array, we use a whole number
index

So if I have an array of 10 elements, there would be 10 indices

The indices
Start at 0 (eg. the first element in the array is at index 0)
End at number of elements minus 1

Array Example
std::string names[5];
The name of the array is names
The type of the data in the array is std::string
There are 5 elements in the array
The index of the first element is index 0
The index of the last element is index 4

Setting a Value at a Specific Index

After I declare the array, I can then set a value at a specific index.

For example, this declares the array, and then sets the value at
index 0 to James:
std::string names[5];
names[0] = "James";

Setting a Value at an Index

Name of the array

(in this case, names)

Index being set

(must be in square
brackets)
End of
statement

names[0] = "James";

= for
assignment

Value we are setting

this index to

Accessing a Value at an Index

To access a value at an index, we use the same [index] syntax,
also called a subscript:
std::string names[5];
// Set index 0 to "James"
names[0] = "James";
// cout the value at index 0
std::cout << names[0] << std::endl;

Revisiting the Class Roster

So if we wanted to create an array of student names, we could use
the following code:
std::string names[5];
names[0] = "James";
names[1] = "Mary";
names[2] = "John";
names[3] = "Patricia";
names[4] = "Robert";
This is preferable to having 5 different variables especially
because if we need to change it to 10 students, we just need to
change the size of the array!

Accessing an Out-of-Bounds Index

C++ will not tell us if we went outside the valid bounds of the array
It will defer to you and assume you know what youre doing, even
though its wrong
For example, this code will compile and execute:
std::string names[5];
names[0] = "James";
names[1] = "Mary";
names[2] = "John";
names[3] = "Patricia";
names[4] = "Robert";
// This cout is out of bounds!
std::cout << names[5] << std::endl;

But the result of what happens is undefined

Accessing an Out-of-Bounds Index, Contd

This is what happened with the bad code from the previous slide:

Arrays and Types

Remember, we can use arrays and any type, not just
std::string
So another example
double grades[5];
grades[0] = 95;
grades[1] = 93.2;
grades[2] = 87.6;
grades[3] = 75.9;
grades[4] = 100.0;

Looping through the array

In order to output all the strings in this names array, we could use
the following algorithm:
1. Start at index 0
2. Output the name at the current index
3. Add one to the current index
4. If the current index is greater than the max index, exit the loop.
Otherwise, goto step 2.

Class Roster Loop

So if this is our array:
std::string names[5];
names[0] = "James";
names[1] = "Mary";
names[2] = "John";
names[3] = "Patricia";
names[4] = "Robert";

If we want to output all of the names in the array using a loop,

what should the condition of our loop be (assuming we initialize
our index variable to 0)?

Class Roster Code w/ Loop

std::string names[5];
names[0] = "James";
names[1] = "Mary";
names[2] = "John";
names[3] = "Patricia";
names[4] = "Robert";
int i = 0;
while (i < 5)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
i++;
}

Class Roster Code w/ Loop, In Action

Looping and Off by one error

An off by one error happens when the condition for your loop is
wrong
Pretty much, your looping through an array should always be like
this:
If youre going forward
Start at index = 0
Condition should be index < size_of_array

If youre going backwards

Start at index = (size_of_array 1)
Condition should be index >= 0

What if we want to have 10 students?

std::string names[5];
names[0] = "James";
names[1] = "Mary";
names[2] = "John";
names[3] = "Patricia";
names[4] = "Robert";

You have to
remember to change
a 5 to a 10 in two
different places.

int i = 0;
Could we use a variable?
while (i < 5)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
i++;
}

Really Important Array Constraint

The size of the array has to be known at the declaration line

Furthermore, the size of the array cannot be an arbitrary

expression it must be a known constant value

So this will not work:

int num_students = 5;
// Error below: "expected constant expression"
std::string names[num_students];

The Const Type Specifier

const is a type specifier that says I guarantee I will never change
this variable

So this code would work:

const int num_students = 5;
std::string names[num_students];

Naming Const Variables

I recommend that you always name a const variable in ALL CAPS

So the previous example should probably be written as:

const int NUM_STUDENTS = 5;
std::string names[NUM_STUDENTS];

Going Back to the Full Example

const int NUM_STUDENTS = 5;
std::string names[NUM_STUDENTS];
names[0] = "James";
names[1] = "Mary";
names[2] = "John";
names[3] = "Patricia";
names[4] = "Robert";

int i = 0;
while (i < NUM_STUDENTS)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
i++;
}

If you try to change a const after declaration

You get an error!

So this wont work:

const int NUM_STUDENTS = 5;
NUM_STUDENTS = 10; // Error: Can't assign to const

Lets Look at the Loop Again

int i = 0;
while (i < NUM_STUDENTS)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
i++;
}
Problems:
I have to declare the variable i outside the scope of the loop
If I forget the i++, the loop will be infinite

Really, all I want is a loop that loops from 0 to NUM_STUDENTS

1

The For Loop

I could rewrite the preceding code as a for loop:
for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

1. Execute the initialization code

Variable
i

Value
0

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

Variable
i

2. Check the condition, if the condition is false, exit loop

Value
0

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

3. Execute the body of the loop

Variable
i

Value
0

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

4. Execute the increment or decrement code

5. Goto step 2

Variable
i

Value
1

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

Variable
i

2. Check the condition, if the condition is false, exit loop

Value
1

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

3. Execute the body of the loop

Variable
i

Value
1

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

4. Execute the increment or decrement code

5. Goto step 2

Variable
i

Value
2

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

Variable
i

2. Check the condition, if the condition is false, exit loop

Value
2

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

3. Execute the body of the loop

Variable
i

Value
2

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

4. Execute the increment or decrement code

5. Goto step 2

Variable
i

Value
3

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

Variable
i

2. Check the condition, if the condition is false, exit loop

Value
3

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

3. Execute the body of the loop

Variable
i

Value
3

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

4. Execute the increment or decrement code

5. Goto step 2

Variable
i

Value
4

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

Variable
i

2. Check the condition, if the condition is false, exit loop

Value
4

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

3. Execute the body of the loop

Variable
i

Value
4

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

4. Execute the increment or decrement code

5. Goto step 2

Variable
i

Value
5

For loop Step by Step

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}

Variable
i

2. Check the condition, if the condition is false, exit loop

Value
5

The For Loop, w/ Advantages

for (int i = 0; i < NUM_STUDENTS; i++)
{
std::cout << names[i] << std::endl;
}
Advantages over while loop:
The variable i will now only be valid during the scope of the loop
Im a lot less likely to forget to put the i++, since its on the first line rather
than all the way at the bottom of the body of the loop

Lab Practical #5