Why do we use increment and decrement operators in C++?

Hi Archana,

We use increment (++) and decrement (--) operators in C++ to quickly increase or decrease a variable's value by 1. They're mainly used for:

1. Simpler code
   Instead of writing i = i + 1, you can just write i++. It’s shorter and easier to read.

2. Looping
   These operators are commonly used in loops. For example:

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

   This loop prints: 0 1 2 3 4

3. Prefix vs Postfix

   • ++i (prefix) increases the value before it’s used

   • i++ (postfix) uses the value first, then increases it

   Example:

   int i = 5;
   cout << ++i; // Outputs 6  
   cout << i++; // Outputs 6, then i becomes 7
   

Both forms are useful depending on when you want the increment or decrement to happen.

If you have more questions, I’m here to help.