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From: mtr@ukc.ac.uk (M.T.Russell)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.std.c
Subject: Re: difference between c++; and ++c;
Keywords: pre post increment decrement grammar style
Message-ID: <389@civet.ukc.ac.uk>
Date: 8 Apr 91 20:46:43 GMT
References: <1991Apr08.161444.10025@cs.ruu.nl>
Reply-To: mtr@ukc.ac.uk (M.T.Russell)
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.
Lines: 18

In article <1991Apr08.161444.10025@cs.ruu.nl> hnridder@cs.ruu.nl (Ernst de Ridder) writes:
>[Why is ++i better than i++ when the value is unused]

Because it is a more direct expression of the desired operation.
Notionally we have:

   i++;	  "Save the current value of i, increment i then discard
	   the value just saved"

versus:

   ++i;   "Increment i then discard the resulting value"

Obviously most compilers will generate exactly the same code for
either case, but it is nice to express what you mean as directly as
possible.

Mark