unsigned integers

Code:

---

main()
{
int b=1;
unsigned int a=-1;
if(a<=b)
cout<<" a is less \n";
else
cout<<"b is less \n";
}

---

this gives me the ans as "b is less"?? why?

Because on your compiler when you underflow an unsigned like that it becomes a very large number. Add

Code:

---

std::cout<<"a = "<< a << ", b= "<< b << std::endl;

---

either before or after your condition and you'll see why.

> unsigned int a=-1;
Unsigned and a negative number - what did you expect to happen?

He thinks that because a is unsigned, -1 will be converted to 1. which is not gonna happen :D Thats also what i thought when i first started programming. Those books are confusing sometimes they need more explaination.

Actually, on x86 systems, -1 for unsigned int gets converted to about 4 billion. And your compiler should give you a warning anyway, first on the unsigned initialization to a negative number, and again on the signed/unsigned mismatch in the comparison.

6.3.1.3 Signed and unsigned integers
1 When a value with integer type is converted to another integer type other than_Bool,if the value can be represented by the newtype, it is unchanged.
2 Otherwise, if the newtype is unsigned, the value is converted by repeatedly adding or subtracting one more than the maximum value that can be represented in the newtype until the value is in the range of the newtype.
3 Otherwise, the newtype is signed and the value cannot be represented in it; the result is implementation-defined.

Also, it's:

Code:

---

int main() { .. }

---

And unfortunatly, return 0; is implicit if not provided so this confuses some people. But yet, main returns an int and you must specify it.