Developing good lab habits

Working through these labs you should have formed some habits. You should know how to:

1. Manipulate projects (creating them, opening them, editing them, saving them, making backups, etc.).
2. Compile and execute your program frequently.

You have probably already started to read “compile and execute” as:

Windows/Linux

• Compile (build solution): Ctrl + Shift + B
• Execute: Ctrl + F5

MacOS

• Compile (build solution): Command + B
• Execute: F5

From now on, read “Create a new project” as

• Create a new project using the “Console Application” template for C#.
• Pick simple and valid names for your project and solution, and make sure you save it in the right place, like a folder that matches the lab name.
• Compile and execute your program frequently, for instance upon completion of every lab task.
• Do not hesitate to change your program to answer questions; you’re in a lab, you’re supposed to conduct experiments!
• If you get an error when trying to compile your program, go to the line where your IDE thinks there is an error.

And, even if it is not explicitly asked, you should save your work once you are done, then re-open it at the beginning of the next session to make sure you saved it properly.

If you want a tutor or your instructor to check your answer to a previous lab, just ask!

First Variables Manipulation

1. Create a new project as indicated above.

2. In the Main method, add three statements:

   • One that declares a string variable named lastName.
   • One that declares a string variable named firstName.
   • One that declares an int variable named classOf.

3. Below those three statements, write statements that assign your last name to the first variable, your first name to the second variable, and your anticipated graduation year (i.e., 2025, for instance) to the third variable.

4. Display at the screen the values of the three variables, using the following statement:

   Console.WriteLine($"My name is {firstName} {lastName}, and I expect to graduate in {classOf}.");

5. Compile and execute your program. It should display a message like:

   My name is Evi Nemeth, and I expect to graduate in 2025.

6. Answer the following by first thinking of what may happen, and then by editing your program to check your hypothesis. Would the compilation still be successful if we were to try to:

   1. Assign a value to a variable before declaring it?
   2. Display the content of a variable before assigning a value to it?
   3. Assign a string value to an int variable?
   4. Assign an int value to a string variable?

7. At the end of your Main method:

   1. Add three statements that change the values of the three variables,
   2. Copy the Console.WriteLine statement that was previously given,
   3. Compile and run the program.

   Notice that the very same statement will now display at the screen a different message!

Experimenting With Numeric Datatypes

Compute in your head the result of the following operation: 1000000.0 + 1.2 - 1000000.0.

Now, implement it (read “implement it” as:

Create a new project and write in the Main method the code below to display on the screen the result of this computation, as computed by C#

) using the float, double, and decimal datatypes:

Console.Write("With floats:\n\t");
Console.WriteLine(1000000.0f + 1.2f - 1000000.0f);
Console.Write("With double:\n\t");
Console.WriteLine(1000000.0 + 1.2 - 1000000.0);
Console.Write("With decimal:\n\t");
Console.WriteLine(1000000.0m + 1.2m - 1000000.0m);

Compile and execute your program. Can you explain what you just observed?

Now execute the following code:

decimal decVar = 12344321.4999999991M;
double douVar = (double)decVar;
float floVar = (float)douVar;
Console.WriteLine($"With decimal: {decVar} \nWith double: {douVar} \nWith float: {floVar}");

Can you explain the gradual loss of precision?

Variable Assignments

For this problem, it is recommended that you think with a pen and a sheet of paper for some time before opening your IDE. Consider the following code:

int a = 0;
a = 12 - 3;
a = 10 % 3;
a = 12 * 2;
a = 9 / 3;
a = -3;
a -= 3; // This is the same as a = a - 3;
a += 5; // This is the same as a = a + 5;
a *=12; // This is the same as a = a * 12;
a /= 2; // This is the same as a = a / 2;
a = a + a;

1. In the previous code, what is the value of a after each line is executed?
2. Check your answers: create a new project, copy the previous statements in the Main method, and use Console.WriteLine(a); to display the value of a after each statement.