Switch-case help

Hello all,

New to the forum and new to C++... Sorry if I sound like I'm a noob but I am... I just started playing with C++ yesterday and am following the tutorials on this site. I'm having a little problem with the default part in the switch. It doesn't seem to work and just makes an infinite loop. Any help would be appreciated! Also any input on making the code more efficient or any input at all would be very helpful! Thanks!

Here's my code:

Code:

---

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int x;
int y;
int ans;
char cont;

int add ();
int subtract ();
int multiply ();
int divide ();

int main()
{
    do {
      int input;
   
      cout<<"1. Add two numbers\n";
      cout<<"2. Subtract two numbers\n";
      cout<<"3. Multiply two numbers\n";
      cout<<"4. Divide two numbers\n";
      cout<<"Selection: ";
      cin>> input;
      switch ( input ) {
                  case 1:
                    add ();
                    break;
                    case 2:
                    subtract ();
                    break;
                  case 3:
                    multiply ();
                    break;
                  case 4:
                    divide ();
                    break;
                  default:
                    cout<<"Error, bad input\n";
                    break;
      }
      cout<<"Your answer is : "<< ans <<"\n";
      cin.get();
      cout<<"Would you like to continue? (y/n)\n";
      cin>> cont;
      cin.ignore();
    } while ( cont != 'n' );
}

int add () {
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        ans = x + y;
        cin.get();
}

int subtract () {
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        ans = x - y;
        cin.get();
}

int multiply () {
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        ans = x * y;
        cin.get();
}
       
int divide () {
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        ans = x / y;
        cin.get();
}

---

It's an improvise of the code on http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/lesson5.html. Don't know what the problem is. =/

I think I figured out my problem. At first I inputed a letter when it asked for a selection. I guess since I declared it as an int then it has to be a number. Any suggestions on how to bypass the

Code:

---

cout<<"Your answer is : "<< ans << endl;

---

part? Is there like end or exit function?

Sorry... noob here.... :rolleyes:

try declaring your x and y int variables locally in your functions. I will give you one example:

Code:

---

int add ()
 {
        int x;
        int y;

        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        ans = x + y;
        cin.get();

        return ans;    //add( ) has been prototyped to return an int
}

---

also, don't forget to have return statements for all functions that are not prototyped as being void.




Also, based on how you got the switch/case structure set up.. you'll probably have to do something like this:

Code:

---


int the_answer;

 switch ( input )
{
                  case 1:  the_answer = add ();    //This call to add( ) will resolve to an integer
                            break;

etc...

---

because your functions have return values, you'll want to save the return value so you can use it when you display your final result.

The reason why it might be going into an infinite loop is if you are inputing non integer values or non whole numbers, e.g 2.35

A way to overcome this would be to declare int x,y and ans as a float.

Code:

---

float x;
float y;
float ans;

---

Quote:

---

Any suggestions on how to bypass the

Code:

---

cout<<"Your answer is : "<< ans << endl;

---

part?

---

Delete it.

But, then what's the point of performing a calculation if you don't show the user the answer?

None of your add(), mutiply(), etc. functions will work because the 'ans' variable is not recognized inside the functions. Generally, a variable has to be declared inside a block:

Code:

---

{

    //code

}

---

for it to be known inside the block. All of your functions contain blocks of code surrounded by braces, yet 'ans' is not declared inside those blocks.

Quote:

---

None of your add(), mutiply(), etc. functions will work because the 'ans' variable is not recognized inside the functions. Generally, a variable has to be declared inside a block:

---

You have a serious problem if you can't see that that is wrong (or not if I'm looking at his code after he made a correction to that effect).

You guys sure aren't good at solving problems; it has nothing to do with if his variables are static external linkage or not - see the bolded red stuff

Code:

---

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int x;
int y;
int ans;
char cont;

int add();
int subtract();
int multiply();
int divide();

int main()
{
    do
    {
        int input;
   
        cout<<"1. Add two numbers\n";
        cout<<"2. Subtract two numbers\n";
        cout<<"3. Multiply two numbers\n";
        cout<<"4. Divide two numbers\n";
        cout<<"Selection: ";
        cin>> input;
        while(!cin)
        {
            cin.clear();
            cin.ignore();
            cout<<"Selection: ";
            cin>>input;
        }
        switch ( input )
        {
            case 1:
                add();
            break;
            case 2:
                subtract();
            break;
            case 3:
                multiply();
            break;
            case 4:
                divide();
            break;
            default:
                cout<<"Not a choice."<<endl;
                return 0;       
        }
        cout<<"Your answer is : "<< ans <<"\n";
        cin.get();
        cout<<"Would you like to continue? (y/n)\n";
        cin>> cont;
        cin.ignore();
    } while( cont != 'n' );
}

int add()
{
    cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
    cin>> x >> y;
    ans = x + y;
    cin.get();
}

int subtract()
{
    cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
    cin>> x >> y;
    ans = x - y;
    cin.get();
}

int multiply()
{
    cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
    cin>> x >> y;
    ans = x * y;
    cin.get();
}
       
int divide ()
{
    cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
    cin>> x >> y;
    ans = x / y;
    cin.get();
}

---

Here's what I have:

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>

using namespace std;

float add ();
float subtract ();
float multiply ();
float divide ();
char cont;

int main()
{
    do {
      int input;
      float answer;
     
      system ("cls");
      cout<<"1. Add two numbers\n";
      cout<<"2. Subtract two numbers\n";
      cout<<"3. Multiply two numbers\n";
      cout<<"4. Divide two numbers\n";
      cout<<"Selection: ";
      cin>> input;
      switch ( input ) {
                  case 1:
                    answer = add ();
                    break;
                  case 2:
                    answer = subtract ();
                    break;
                  case 3:
                    answer = multiply ();
                    break;
                  case 4:
                    answer = divide ();
                    break;
                  default:
                    cout<<"Error, bad input\n";
                    cont = 'n';
                    break;
      }
      while ( cont != 'n' ) {
            cout<<"Your answer is : "<< answer << endl;
            cin.get();
            cont = 'n';
      }
      cout<<"Would you like to continue? (y/n)\n";
      cin>> cont;
      cin.ignore();
    } while ( cont != 'n' );

    return 0;
   
}

float add () {
        float x;
        float y;
        float ans;
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        cin.get();
        ans = x + y;
        return ans;
}

float subtract () {
        float x;
        float y;
        float ans;
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        cin.get();
        ans = x - y;
        return ans;
}

float multiply () {
        float x;
        float y;
        float ans;
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        cin.get();
        ans = x * y;
        return ans;
}
       
float divide () {
        float x;
        float y;
        float ans;
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        cin.get();
        ans = x / y;
        return ans;
}

---

I think it works out ok... Any input?

I thought that it would be a lot easier to declare the variables x, y, and ans globally instead of declaring it multiple times within the function... but I changed it cause of the recommendations...

Look at each of those functions. Do you see something in common in all of them? Let me help:

Code:

---

        float x;
        float y;
        float ans;
        cout<<"Please enter 2 numbers: \n";
        cin>> x >> y;
        cin.get();

---

What if you were to put all of that before you call the switch? Then, pass both x and y to your math functions, and you get something like this:

Code:

---

float add( float x, float y )
{
    return x + y;
}

---

Quzah.