Thread: Need a hint as to how to make a program that prints two highest numbers from user inp

ut. (the title bar wasn't long enough :P) Anyways, that sums it up. I need to write a program where a user inputs a bar of numbers, and the two highest ones are printed. Now, I have the input working correctly, but I can't figure out the two highest numbers thing. The input cins are inside a loop that runs <inputed variable> number of times, but I can't figure out how to count the highest and second highest- or just the highest for that matter. Below is my current code which just prints 0, if someone could give me a hint as to what to do (I tried putting various things inside the loop to try and record the highest, didn't work) that would be appreciated.

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main ( ) {
    int number;
    int othvar;
    int highest = 0;
    cout << "How many numbers? ";
    cin >> number;
    for(int track = 0; track < number; track++) {
    cin >> othvar;
    
}
         cout << "highest: " << highest;
     
     }

5 is the highest as 5 > 3 and 5 > 1.
I still don't see how I could record a variable instance for that.

So a variable should record the highest number so far? Makes sense, but how would I implement that? Do I need the variable to be set to the user input variable every time and somehow record it? I understand the concept, but I don't see how it translates into the program.

I already have the user input variable (othvar), but how would I do the highest number thus far thing? Making a variable that keeps setting itself to othvar every loop iteration doesn't work, I've tried it. I see what you're saying (store the highest number thus far that the user has input, it makes sense) but the implementation itself is confusing me. How would I record the highest number so far?

Originally Posted by Elysia

A variable is a piece of memory that stores a value you assign to it and remembers it until the variable is destroyed. Example:

Code:

int main()
{
    int First;
    int Entered = 1;
    std::cout << "Enter number: ";
    std::cin >> First;

    while (Entered != 0)
    {
        std::cout << "Enter number (exit with 0): ";
        std::cin >> Entered;
        std::cout << "You entered: " << Entered << "\n";
    }

    std::cout << "The first number you entered was: " << First << "\n";
}

I understand what a variable is, I just don't know what I would record.

I got it working:

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main ( ) {
    int number;
    int othvar;
    int highest = 0;
    cout << "How many numbers? ";
    cin >> number;
    cin >> othvar;
    int rec = othvar;
    for(int track = 1; track < number; track++) {
    cin >> othvar;
    if(rec < othvar) {
           rec = othvar;
           }
}
highest = rec;
         cout << "highest: " << highest;
     
     }

Now I need to figure out the second highest. How would I do that?

I did this and it still doesn't work for the second one, what do I need to change?

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main ( ) {
    int number;
    int othvar;
    int highest = 0;
    int second = 0;
    cout << "How many numbers? ";
    cin >> number;
    cin >> othvar;
    int rec = othvar;
    second = othvar;
    for(int track = 1; track < number; track++) {
    cin >> othvar;
    if(rec < othvar) {
           rec = othvar;
           }
           if(second < othvar && second < rec) {
                     second = othvar;
                     }
}
          highest = rec;
          int sprint = second;
          cout << endl;
         cout << "Highest: " << highest;
         cout << endl;
         cout << "Second: " << sprint;
     
     }

I would find the highest first. After you find the highest, you can find the second highest by doing essentially the same process. The only thing that is different is the second highest number is always less than the highest.