Decrement a Number with JavaScript

JavaScript
1

Tell us what’s happening:

Okay, so it got the answer but I don’t understand why it works that way. Sure I understand that myVar = 87
how it works is in clear was eliminat “=” between myvar and myVar and to add the ++ without eliminating the + 1; it seemed that the statement this way was clear but not so. Please if you can help me understand.
Thank you

Your code so far

var myVar = 11;

// Only change code below this line
myVar = myVar - 1;

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Link to the challenge:

2

In this case writing:

myVar--;

is functionally the same as

myVar = myVar - 1;

The double – (minus signs) tell the function to subtract 1 from what is currently stored as that specific variable. The opposite is true as well, the ++ tells the function to add 1 to the stored value of that variable.Those operators are effectively the same as the other half of that declaration/operation

3

Let’s say we create an application that will keep count of how many popsicles you have in the fridge. We will store this in a variable for easy access:

let popsicles = 5

This morning a friend came over and gave you a popsicle for some random reason. We want to add this to our popsicle count so:

popsicles = popsicles + 1

Or in other words we are taking all the popsicles from the package or variable popsicles and adding another into it, and then putting all six back into the box. popsicles will be equal to 6. Because this is such a common application in programming, we have a shortcut to adding one to a number:

popsicles++;

// exactly the same as doing
popsicles = popsicles + 1

Now let’s do the opposite. You come in from working outside and decide to have a popsicle, so you pull one out of the box. We can do so like this:

console.log('popsicles') // 5

popsicles = popsicles - 1;

In this operation we take our entire package of popsicles (5) and subtract one from it. You might be wondering why we have to do

popsicles = popsicles - 1;

instead of just

popsicles - 1;

popsicles - 1 gives us a value, it is not a variable. Think about our example. We grab all the popsicles out of our box of popsicles which has 5 in it, so we now have 5 popsicles in our hand. We then remove one of these popsicles leaving us with 4 popsicles. We don’t have a use for these 4 popsicles, so we put them back in the box. In this example:

popsicles = popsicles - 1

we grab the variable, remove 1 popsicle from it, and put the other 4 back into the box called popsicles. If we just remove one from it without doing anything, it does us no good.

let popsicles = 5;

popsicles - 1;

console.log(popsicles) // 5

This is because popsicles is still 5 because we gave it that value. We need to update the value by assigning it a new value. We get this new value and then assign it.

let popsicles = 5;

popsicles = popsicles - 1; // or popsicles--;

console.log(popsicles) // 4

We must assign the value to the variable to use it later. Because it would be convenient to just write popsicles - 1, because it does not do what we want, we have a shortcut that will assign it for us in popsicles--. Hope this helps clarify things.

4

Thank you you explained it well I think I’ve got it now.

5

Thanks IsaacAbraham I’ve got it I think that I was just wondering why like in your example I couldn’t simply use myVar = myVar + 1;

6

Technically, you could. This challenge was designed to reinforce the the concept of the increment/decrement syntax.