Can anyone explain this code too?

Question

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
char* ptr = "MadeEasy";
char a,b;
for(int i=0;i<3;i++){
a = *++ptr;
b = *ptr++;
}
printf("%c %c", a,b);
return 0;
}

Answer 1

The output is "a a". The "a" comes from the second "a" in "MadeEasy".

ptr is a pointer that starts being the address of the M in "MadeEasy".

Iteration where i = 0:
a is set to the first "a" in MadeEasy by running "a = *++ptr" because ++ptr adds 1 to ptr and * gets the value at that address. In other words, it gets the character after M in MadeEasy.

b is set to the first "a" in MadeEasy also. This is because the *ptr is evaluated before adding 1 to ptr.

Iteration where i = 1:
a and b are set to the "e" from MadeEasy and ptr is left pointing at the "E".

Iteration where i = 2:
a and b are set to the second "a" from MadeEasy and ptr is left pointing at the "s".

When i = 3, the for-loop ends because 3 < 3 is false.

The printf prints "a a" because both a and b variables hold the value of "a".