Flash cards
Review the key moves
What is the main idea behind C++ Assignment Operators?
Lesson checks
Practice each idea before moving on
Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.
Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?
Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.
Assignment Operators
Assignment operators are used to assign values to variables.
In the example below, we use the assignment operator ( = ) to assign the value 10 to a variable called x :
int x = 10;The addition compound assignment operator ( += ) adds a value to a variable:
int x = 10;
x += 5; // same as x = x + 5A list of all assignment operators
| Operator | Example | Same As | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| = | x = 5 | x = 5 | ||
| += | x += 3 | x = x + 3 | ||
| -= | x -= 3 | x = x - 3 | ||
| *= | x *= 3 | x = x * 3 | ||
| /= | x /= 3 | x = x / 3 | ||
| %= | x %= 3 | x = x % 3 | ||
| &= | x &= 3 | x = x & 3 | ||
| = | x | = 3 | x = x | 3 |
| ^= | x ^= 3 | x = x ^ 3 | ||
| >>= | x >>= 3 | x = x >> 3 | ||
| <<= | x <<= 3 | x = x << 3 |
Compound Assignment Operators
Compound assignment operators are a shorter way of writing operations where you use a variable in both sides of an assignment. For example, instead of writing x = x + 5; , you can simply write x += 5; .
Example
int x = 10;
x += 5; // same as x = x + 5
cout << x << "\n"; // 15
x *= 2; // same as x = x * 2
cout << x << "\n"; // 30Tip
Compound operators make code shorter and easier to read, especially when updating the same variable many times.
Why "Compound"? They are called compound assignment operators because they combine a regular operator (like + , - , * , etc.) with the assignment operator ( = ) into one single operator. For example, += is a combination of + and = .
Real-Life Example: Tracking Savings
Compound assignment operators can also be used in real-life scenarios. For example, you can use the += operator to keep track of savings when you add money to an account:
Example
int savings = 100;
savings += 50; // add 50 to savings
cout << "Total savings: " << savings;