Different results in for loops.

**Kitt3n** · 05-24-2010

I was wondering why the following two pieces of code give different results. The first one prints "theChar" a certain amount of times in a vertical line while the second creates a matrix.

The difference is the brackets. But why does it execute the way it does?

Code:

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    using namespace std;

    int rows, columns;
    char theChar;

    cout << "How many rows? ";
    cin >> rows;
    cout << "How many columns? ";
    cin >> columns;
    cout << "What character do you prefer? ";
    cin >> theChar;

    for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++)
    {
        for (int j = 0; j < columns; j++)
            {
            cout << theChar;
            cout << endl;
            }
    }

    return 0;
}

Code:

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    using namespace std;

    int rows, columns;
    char theChar;

    cout << "How many rows? ";
    cin >> rows;
    cout << "How many columns? ";
    cin >> columns;
    cout << "What character do you prefer? ";
    cin >> theChar;

    for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++)
    {
        for (int j = 0; j < columns; j++)

            cout << theChar;
            cout << endl;

    }

    return 0;
}

**laserlight** · 05-24-2010

If we add in the braces for the second snippet, we might write:

Code:

for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++)
{
    for (int j = 0; j < columns; j++)
    {
        cout << theChar;
    }

    cout << endl;
}

Can you understand the difference now?

**Kitt3n** · 05-25-2010

Ow wait I think I got it.

cout << endl; is part of the first for loop. I kept looking at it as part of the second for loop...

**laserlight** · 05-25-2010

Originally Posted by Kitt3n

The way I see it at the moment is that in both cases the statements are inside the second for loop.

When braces are not used to denote a block that is the body of the loop, the loop body is only the single statement following the start of the loop. Therefore, for the second case, it is simply not true that the cout << endl; is in the body of the inner for loop. My use of braces illustrates that.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Kitt3n

In both cases I see it as that when the amount of columns is reached it starts the new row. But with the brackets it seems to execute the std::endl every time the char is printed.

Consider:

Code:

for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++)
{
    for (int j = 0; j < columns; j++)
    {
        cout << theChar;
    }

    cout << endl;
}

Observe that the inner for loop basically prints theChar columns number of times. Once that loop is done, cout << endl; is executed, and then the outer for loop continues. Therefore, this does the "when the amount of columns is reached it starts the new row" thing that you have in mind. Now, consider:

Code:

for (int i = 0; i < rows; i++)
{
    for (int j = 0; j < columns; j++)
    {
        cout << theChar;
        cout << endl;
    }
}

Observe that the inner for loop still prints theChar columns number of times. But now, after each printing of theChar, cout << endl; is executed. If you just do a little tracing of the code, it should be clear to you why this prints a series of theChar in a single column.

**Kitt3n** · 05-25-2010

Thanks for the help. I was just not fast enough editing my post.

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