Why is the output 26 and not 25?

Question

For the following code:

int x = 1;
For (; x < 6; x++)
x *= x;

System.out.println(x);

Why is the output 26? When x = 4, the loop checks the condition and since it passes, then it increments x to 5. Then x is squared to 25 and when the condition is checked again, the condition fails, but for some reason, increments x by 1 immediately after the loop termination giving you 26. But yet if it was just a regular loop with x, then x would just stop at 6 and not increment x once the loop Condition fails.

Can someone explain the reasoning and logic behind this?

Answer 1

x*=x (1)
x++ (2)
x*=x (4)
x++ (5)
x*=x (25)
x++ (26)
x<6 failed, loop terminated.
prints 26

There you go

Answer 2

JoeyCentral You're welcome. Just remember that when a condition is satisfied, your code will be executed and then the variable will be incremented.

Answer 3

After the body of the loop in a given iteration, the incrementing is done before the condition check.

Answer 4

See when u enter the loop for first time initialization statement executes then condition is checked.......
After that it executes as....
Body>loop expression (like x++) >check condition>body

Answer 5

Man 🌟Prometheus 🇸🇬 even mentioned values of x and I gave u the explanation... U think over it

Answer 6

U are correct with ur explanation upto x=25...
After that for loop first increments x as x++......
Then it will check condition.... 26 < 6 it is False so loop is terminated

Answer 7

but the increment isnt executed if the condition doesnt hold true. it only increments if the condition check is returned true, which is why x is incremented to 5 after 4 is checked when x = 4

Answer 8

so why wouldnt x = 7 if that was the case and the loop was only incrementing x by 1 via the loop signature?

Answer 9

🌟Prometheus 🇸🇬 thank you for the answer! that answers everything now!