Thread: Improving code

Is there anything I can do to this code to make it better? As in faster, more attractive, and easier to understand (with out using comments).

Code:

#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;

int main ()
{
	int count=0;
	srand ( time(NULL) );
	fstream fout("rand.txt");
	while (count != 50)
	{
		fout << rand()%6+1 << "\n";
		count++;
	}
	return 0;
}

Looks good to me, although I think most programmers would have preferred a for loop instead of a while, but to each his own.

Use void main, saves on the return........KIDDIN!!! you dont saw
that coming did you?

You might remove that value assigning of count since its 0
at the start anyhow. Actually you shouldnt, but i cant thing of
anything you can improve here while keeping good code.

BTW. you're not using time.h or iostream.h

Right! yelton said it, use a for loop, makes it 1 line shorter

actually, if you make it <ctime> and <cstdlib>, the code would look better.

Yea it does look better with that.

I think I will use ofstream so I do not have to make the file first.

I was looking for clearer/cleaner/easier ways because this is something I must show to a bunch of computer illiterate people.

with out using comments

I assume you mean in addition to using comments.

Your program should always use enough comments to explain what you are doing. If its an example program for beginners, as this seems to be, then at least one comment per line is not overdoing it

If you're writing the program for yourself, or one that may need to be "maintained" by another skilled programmer, then you don't need to comment stuff like x = y + 1, or return 0, but you should still include lots of comments. I'll have to count the comments in one of my larger programs to confirm this, bit I'll bet there are 200 comments in 500 lines of my code. (Of course, many of these comments are 1-3 words long.)

Some poople think its macho to leave out comments and cram as much into one line as possible. Not me! I want to make my programs as readable as possible without "cluttering" them with comments. Sometimes there is a trade-off between making readable code and efficient code, but this does NOT apply to comments.

One argument for omitting comments is that sometimes the code gets changed, and the comments don't. This can get really confusing. This is a wimpy excuse.

So don't be too macho or too wimpy. Just do it right and take the time to keep the comments up-to-date.

EDIT: never mind =P

anyway

Code:

int main (void)
{
	srand (time(NULL));
	fstream fout("rand.txt");
	for (int count = 0; count < 50; ++count) {
		fout << rand()%6+1 << endl;
	}

	return 0;
}

For loops are cleaner and in C++ you should try to initialize variables at the point you're using them.