C#•2y ago

❔ Understanding guidelines around use of 'bool'

Hi folks, i need help understanding the usage of bool before a loop. I've looked at the way some people write their code, sometimes bool is made equals to true and sometimes false. Are there certain guidelines for this?

7 Replies

vdvman1•2y ago

It entirely depends on what you are doing in the loop and what that bool is for

moshimoshiOP•2y ago

In this code, for example, could you explain why bool is made false initially?

/* Write a static method ReadInteger(string message) that would return an integer. The 
method should prompt the user with the message, get the input from the user using
Console.ReadLine and if the input can be parsed into integer return the integer. If the 
input cannot be parsed into integer, the method should repeat the prompt until the user 
enter an integer input. */

class ExerciseHQ1
{

    static int ReadInteger(string message)
    {
            Console.Write(message);
            int output;
            bool isParsable = false;

            do
            {
                isParsable = Int32.TryParse(Console.ReadLine(), out output);


                if (!isParsable)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Your input is not an integer.");
                }
            } while (!isParsable);

            return output;
    }

        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            int x = ReadInteger("Please enter x: ");
            Console.WriteLine(x);
        }

}

/* Write a static method ReadInteger(string message) that would return an integer. The 
method should prompt the user with the message, get the input from the user using
Console.ReadLine and if the input can be parsed into integer return the integer. If the 
input cannot be parsed into integer, the method should repeat the prompt until the user 
enter an integer input. */

class ExerciseHQ1
{

    static int ReadInteger(string message)
    {
            Console.Write(message);
            int output;
            bool isParsable = false;

            do
            {
                isParsable = Int32.TryParse(Console.ReadLine(), out output);


                if (!isParsable)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Your input is not an integer.");
                }
            } while (!isParsable);

            return output;
    }

        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            int x = ReadInteger("Please enter x: ");
            Console.WriteLine(x);
        }

}

vdvman1•2y ago

In that specific case it doesn't matter, and you can even leave out the = false, because it immediately gets replaced unconditionally in the isParsable = ... line at the start of the loop They probably set it to false because they use !isParsable in the while part, so they're making absolutely sure it always runs once (although the do ... while already does that) They probably wanted it to not be affected if that do ... while was converted to a while

moshimoshiOP•2y ago

Ah I see! If lets say i initialize a bool but leave it undefined and then use it in a loop, would bool = true or bool = false let me leave the loop?

vdvman1•2y ago

Which "leaves the loop" is entirely dependent on how you write the condition inside the while(...) Also not all while loops will even use a bool variable

moshimoshiOP•2y ago

Ah okay, got it thanks sir! 🫡 Also i'd just started learning modular programming but am kinda struggling to wrap my head around the concepts. Are there any online resources youd recommend? 🙂

Accord•2y ago

Was this issue resolved? If so, run /close - otherwise I will mark this as stale and this post will be archived until there is new activity.

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❔ Understanding guidelines around use of 'bool'