C++ Programming Handout 3

C++ Flow Control

C++ if, if...else and Nested if...else
In this topic, you will learn about the if...else statement to create decision making programs with the help of
examples. In computer programming, we use the if statement to run a block code only when a certain
condition is met.
For example, assigning grades (A, B, C) based on marks obtained by a student.
• if the percentage is above 90, assign grade A
• if the percentage is above 75, assign grade B
• if the percentage is above 65, assign grade C
There are three forms of if...else statements in C++.
1. if statement
2. if...else statement
3. if...else if...else statement
C++ if Statement
The syntax of the if statement is:
if (condition) {
// body of if statement
}
The if statement evaluates the condition inside the parentheses ( ).
• If the condition evaluates to true, the code inside the body of if is executed.
• If the condition evaluates to false, the code inside the body of if is skipped.
Note: The code inside { } is the body of the if statement.

The code above shows the working of C++ if Statement

Example 1: C++ if Statement
// Program to print positive number entered by the user
// If the user enters a negative number, it is skipped

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
int number;

cout << "Enter an integer: ";

cin >> number;

// checks if the number is positive

if (number > 0) {
cout << "You entered a positive integer: " << number << endl;
}
cout << "This statement is always executed.";
return 0;

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C++ Programming Handout 3
}
Output 1
Enter an integer: 5
You entered a positive number: 5
This statement is always executed.
When the user enters 5, the condition number > 0 is evaluated to true and the statement inside the body of
if is executed.
Output 2
Enter a number: -5
This statement is always executed.
When the user enters -5, the condition number > 0 is evaluated to false and the statement inside the body
of if is not executed.
C++ if...else
The if statement can have an optional else clause. Its syntax is:
if (condition) {
// block of code if condition is true
}
else {
// block of code if condition is false
}
The if..else statement evaluates the condition inside the parenthesis.

The code above shows the working of C++ if...else

If the condition evaluates true,
• the code inside the body of if is executed
• the code inside the body of else is skipped from execution
If the condition evaluates false,
• the code inside the body of else is executed
• the code inside the body of if is skipped from execution

Example 2: C++ if...else Statement

// Program to check whether an integer is positive or negative
// This program considers 0 as a positive number

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
int number;

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cout << "Enter an integer: ";

cin >> number;
if (number >= 0) {
cout << "You entered a positive integer: " << number << endl;
}
else {
cout << "You entered a negative integer: " << number << endl;
}
cout << "This line is always printed.";
return 0;
}
Output 1
Enter an integer: 4
You entered a positive integer: 4.
This line is always printed.
In the above program, we have the condition number >= 0. If we enter the number greater or equal to 0,
then the condition evaluates true.
Here, we enter 4. So, the condition is true. Hence, the statement inside the body of if is executed.
Output 2
Enter an integer: -4
You entered a negative integer: -4.
This line is always printed.
Here, we enter -4. So, the condition is false. Hence, the statement inside the body of else is executed.

C++ if.....else if …else statement

The if...else statement is used to execute a block of code among two alternatives. However, if we need
to make a choice between more than two alternatives, we use the if...else if...else statement.
The syntax of the if...else if...else statement is:
if (condition1) {
// code block 1
}
else if (condition2){
// code block 2
}
else {
// code block 3
}
Here,
• If condition1 evaluates to true, the code block 1 is executed.
• If condition1 evaluates to false, then condition2 is evaluated.
• If condition2 is true, the code block 2 is executed.
• If condition2 is false, the code block 3 is executed.

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The code shows how if...else if...else Statement Works

Note: There can be more than one else if statement but only one if and else statements.

Example 3: C++ if...else...else if

// Program to check whether an integer is positive, negative or zero

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
int number;

cout << "Enter an integer: ";

cin >> number;
if (number > 0) {
cout << "You entered a positive integer: " << number << endl;
}
else if (number < 0) {
cout << "You entered a negative integer: " << number << endl;
}
else {
cout << "You entered 0." << endl;
}
cout << "This line is always printed.";
return 0;
}
Output 1
Enter an integer: 1
You entered a positive integer: 1.
This line is always printed.
Output 2
Enter an integer: -2
You entered a negative integer: -2.
This line is always printed.
Output 3
Enter an integer: 0
You entered 0.
This line is always printed.
In this program, we take a number from the user. We then use the if...else if...else ladder to check
whether the number is positive, negative, or zero.

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If the number is greater than 0, the code inside the if block is executed. If the number is less than 0, the
code inside the else if block is executed. Otherwise, the code inside the else block is executed.

C++ Nested if...else

Sometimes, we need to use an if statement inside another if statement. This is known as nested if
statement.
Think of it as multiple layers of if statements. There is a first, outer if statement, and inside it is another,
inner if statement. Its syntax is:
// outer if statement
if (condition1) {
// statements

// inner if statement
if (condition2) {
// statements
}
}
Notes:
•We can add else and else if statements to the inner if statement as required.
•The inner if statement can also be inserted inside the outer else or else if statements (if they
exist).
• We can nest multiple layers of if statements.
Example 4: C++ Nested if
// C++ program to find if an integer is even or odd or neither (0)
// using nested if statements

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
int num;

cout << "Enter an integer: ";

cin >> num;

// outer if condition
if (num != 0) {

// inner if condition
if ((num % 2) == 0) {
cout << "The number is even." << endl;
}
// inner else condition
else {
cout << "The number is odd." << endl;
}
}
// outer else condition
else {
cout << "The number is 0 and it is neither even nor odd." << endl;
}
cout << "This line is always printed." << endl;
}
Output 1
Enter an integer: 34
The number is even.
This line is always printed.

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Output 2
Enter an integer: 35
The number is odd.
This line is always printed.
Output 3
Enter an integer: 0
The number is 0 and it is neither even nor odd.
This line is always printed.
In the above example,
• We take an integer as an input from the user and store it in the variable num.
• We then use an if...else statement to check whether num is not equal to 0.
o If true, then the inner if...else statement is executed.
o If false, the code inside the outer else condition is executed, which prints "The number is
0 and neither even nor odd."
• The inner if...else statement checks whether the input number is divisible by 2.
o If true, then we print a statement saying that the number is even.
o If false, we print that the number is odd.
Notice that 0 is also divisible by 2, but it is actually not an even number. This is why we first make sure that
the input number is not 0 in the outer if condition.
Note: As you can see, nested if...else makes your logic complicated. If possible, you should always try
to avoid nested if...else.

Body of if...else With Only One Statement

If the body of if...else has only one statement, you can omit { } in the program. For example, you can
replace
int number = 5;

if (number > 0) {
cout << "The number is positive." << endl;
}
else {
cout << "The number is negative." << endl;
}
with
int number = 5;

if (number > 0)
cout << "The number is positive." << endl;
else
cout << "The number is negative." << endl;
The output of both programs will be the same.
Note: Although it's not necessary to use { } if the body of if...else has only one statement, using { }
makes your code more readable.

More on Decision Making

C++ for Loop
In this topic, you will learn about the C++ for loop and its working with the help of some examples. In
computer programming, loops are used to repeat a block of code.
For example, let's say we want to show a message 100 times. Then instead of writing the print statement 100
times, we can use a loop.
That was just a simple example; we can achieve much more efficiency and sophistication in our programs
by making effective use of loops.
There are 3 types of loops in C++.
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• for loop
• while loop
• do...while loop
This topic focuses on C++ for loop. We will learn about the other type of loops in the upcoming later.
C++ for loop
The syntax of for-loop is:
for (initialization; condition; update) {
// body of-loop
}
Here,
• initialization - initializes variables and is executed only once
• condition - if true, the body of for loop is executed
if false, the for loop is terminated
• update - updates the value of initialized variables and again checks the condition
Flowchart of for Loop in C++

Flowchart of for loop in C++

Example 1: Printing Numbers From 1 to 5
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main() {
for (int i = 1; i <= 5; ++i) {
cout << i << " ";
}
return 0;
}

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Output
1 2 3 4 5
Here is how this program works
Iteration Variable i <= 5 Action
1st i = 1 true 1 is printed. i is increased to 2.
2nd i = 2 true 2 is printed. i is increased to 3.
3rd i = 3 true 3 is printed. i is increased to 4.
4th i = 4 true 4 is printed. i is increased to 5.
5th i = 5 true 5 is printed. i is increased to 6.
6th i = 6 false The loop is terminated
Example 2: Display a text 5 times
// C++ Program to display a text 5 times

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main() {
for (int i = 1; i <= 5; ++i) {
cout << "Hello World! " << endl;
}
return 0;
}
Output
Hello World!
Hello World!
Hello World!
Hello World!
Hello World!
Here is how this program works
Iteration Variable i <= 5 Action
1st i = 1 true Hello World! is printed and i is increased to 2.
2nd i = 2 true Hello World! is printed and i is increased to 3.
3rd i = 3 true Hello World! is printed and i is increased to 4.
4th i = 4 true Hello World! is printed and i is increased to 5.
5th i = 5 true Hello World! is printed and i is increased to 6.
6th i = 6 false The loop is terminated
Example 3: Find the sum of first n Natural Numbers
// C++ program to find the sum of first n natural numbers
// positive integers such as 1,2,3,...n are known as natural numbers

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main() {
int num, sum;
sum = 0;

cout << "Enter a positive integer: ";

cin >> num;

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for (int i = 1; i <= num; ++i) {
sum += i;
}

cout << "Sum = " << sum << endl;

return 0;
}
Output
Enter a positive integer: 10
Sum = 55
In the above example, we have two variables num and sum. The sum variable is assigned with 0 and the num
variable is assigned with the value provided by the user.
Note that we have used a for loop.
for(int i = 1; i <= num; ++i)
Here,
• int i = 1: initializes the i variable
• i <= num: runs the loop as long as i is less than or equal to num
• ++i: increases the i variable by 1 in each iteration
When i becomes 11, the condition is false and sum will be equal to 0 + 1 + 2 + ... + 10.

Ranged Based for Loop

In C++11, a new range-based for loop was introduced to work with collections such as arrays and vectors.
Its syntax is:
for (variable : collection) {
// body of loop
}
Here, for every value in the collection, the for loop is executed and the value is assigned to the variable.
Example 4: Range Based for Loop
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main() {

int num_array[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10};

for (int n : num_array) {

cout << n << " ";
}

return 0;
}
Output
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
In the above program, we have declared and initialized an int array named num_array. It has 10 items.
Here, we have used a range-based for loop to access all the items in the array.
C++ Infinite for loop
If the condition in a for loop is always true, it runs forever (until memory is full). For example,
// infinite for loop
for(int i = 1; i > 0; i++) {
// block of code
}
In the above program, the condition is always true which will then run the code for infinite times.
Read more about these loops below

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C++ Programming Handout 3

C++ while and do...while Loop

In this topic, we will learn the use of while and do...while loops in C++ programming with the help of some
examples. In computer programming, loops are used to repeat a block of code.
Here, we are going to learn about while and do...while loops.
C++ while Loop
The syntax of the while loop is:
while (condition) {
// body of the loop
}
Here,
• A while loop evaluates the condition
• If the condition evaluates to true, the code inside the while loop is executed.
• The condition is evaluated again.
• This process continues until the condition is false.
• When the condition evaluates to false, the loop terminates.
Flowchart of while Loop

Flowchart of C++ while loop

Example 1: Display Numbers from 1 to 5
// C++ Program to print numbers from 1 to 5

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main() {
int i = 1;

// while loop from 1 to 5

while (i <= 5) {
cout << i << " ";
++i;
}

return 0;
}

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Output
1 2 3 4 5
Here is how the program works.
Iteration Variable i <= 5 Action
1st i = 1 true 1 is printed and i is increased to 2.
2nd i = 2 true 2 is printed and i is increased to 3.
3rd i = 3 true 3 is printed and i is increased to 4
4th i = 4 true 4 is printed and i is increased to 5.
5th i = 5 true 5 is printed and i is increased to 6.
6th i = 6 false The loop is terminated
Example 2: Sum of Positive Numbers Only
// program to find the sum of positive numbers
// if the user enters a negative number, the loop ends
// the negative number entered is not added to the sum

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
int number;
int sum = 0;

// take input from the user

cout << "Enter a number: ";
cin >> number;

while (number >= 0) {

// add all positive numbers
sum += number;

// take input again if the number is positive

cout << "Enter a number: ";
cin >> number;
}

// display the sum

cout << "\nThe sum is " << sum << endl;

return 0;
}
Output
Enter a number: 6
Enter a number: 12
Enter a number: 7
Enter a number: 0
Enter a number: -2

The sum is 25
In this program, the user is prompted to enter a number, which is stored in the variable number.
In order to store the sum of the numbers, we declare a variable sum and initialize it to the value of 0.
The while loop continues until the user enters a negative number. During each iteration, the number entered
by the user is added to the sum variable.
When the user enters a negative number, the loop terminates. Finally, the total sum is displayed.

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C++ do...while Loop
The do...while loop is a variant of the while loop with one important difference: the body of do...while
loop is executed once before the condition is checked.
Its syntax is:
do {
// body of loop;
}
while (condition);
Here,
• The body of the loop is executed at first. Then the condition is evaluated.
• If the condition evaluates to true, the body of the loop inside the do statement is executed again.
• The condition is evaluated once again.
• If the condition evaluates to true, the body of the loop inside the do statement is executed again.
• This process continues until the condition evaluates to false. Then the loop stops.
Flowchart of do...while Loop

Flowchart of C++ do...while loop

Example 3: Display Numbers from 1 to 5
// C++ Program to print numbers from 1 to 5

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main() {
int i = 1;

// do...while loop from 1 to 5

do {
cout << i << " ";
++i;
}
while (i <= 5);

return 0;
}
Output
1 2 3 4 5
Here is how the program works.
Iteration Variable i <= 5 Action
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i = 1not checked 1 is printed and i is increased to 2
1st i = 2 true 2 is printed and i is increased to 3
2nd i = 3 true 3 is printed and i is increased to 4
3rd i = 4 true 4 is printed and i is increased to 5
4th i = 5 true 5 is printed and i is increased to 6
5th i = 6 false The loop is terminated
Example 4: Sum of Positive Numbers Only
// program to find the sum of positive numbers
// If the user enters a negative number, the loop ends
// the negative number entered is not added to the sum

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
int number = 0;
int sum = 0;

do {
sum += number;

// take input from the user

cout << "Enter a number: ";
cin >> number;
}
while (number >= 0);

// display the sum

cout << "\nThe sum is " << sum << endl;

return 0;
}
Output 1
Enter a number: 6
Enter a number: 12
Enter a number: 7
Enter a number: 0
Enter a number: -2

The sum is 25
Here, the do...while loop continues until the user enters a negative number. When the number is negative,
the loop terminates; the negative number is not added to the sum variable.
Output 2
Enter a number: -6
The sum is 0.
The body of the do...while loop runs only once if the user enters a negative number.

Infinite while loop

If the condition of a loop is always true, the loop runs for infinite times (until the memory is full). For
example,
// infinite while loop
while(true) {
// body of the loop
}
Here is an example of an infinite do...while loop.
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// infinite do...while loop

int count = 1;

do {
// body of loop
}
while(count == 1);
In the above programs, the condition is always true. Hence, the loop body will run for infinite times.

for vs while loops

A for loop is usually used when the number of iterations is known. For example,
// This loop is iterated 5 times
for (int i = 1; i <=5; ++i) {
// body of the loop
}
Here, we know that the for-loop will be executed 5 times.
However, while and do...while loops are usually used when the number of iterations is unknown. For
example,
while (condition) {
// body of the loop
}

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