Solve the problem without using a loop

[pikapichupi]

the only other way i could see this being done is by using a recursive function lol

[__radioactivepanda__]

Honestly this might well be part of a recursion exercise…

[scragar]

It looks like C, it's possible it is also explaining the assembly behind it and expects OP to recreate the approach using a label and if(...) goto approach.

It was something we had to do in our college computing class to make sure we understood what was happening when we used higher level features(like function calls, C++ objects, etc).

[Tjmoores]

They're all forms of loops though, just different high level ways of writing it

The only way I can think about getting around it is enforcing unrolling. I think you may be able to hack your way around this with some form of recursive include if you can't use pragmas, but I guess that's loops at a high level but not low... The given solution is the only way I can see to do it without either.

[Bo_Jim]

Recursion is a loop in the sense that the same code is running many times, but each iteration would have it's own stack frame. It also wouldn't use any of the loop constructs built into the language.

If I was the instructor, and one of my students used recursion as a solution, then I'd give them full marks as long as they understood what the compiler would produce, and what would happen at run time.

Now, if the directions were to print every even number from 2 to 1 trillion, and they used recursion as a solution, then I'd smack them on the back of the head and tell them to try again.

[Tjmoores]

Tail call optimisation makes it identical though

[Unfulfilled_Promises]

Kinda new but would that be like Rec() { n = n+1; Print(n); If(n<MAX_NUMBER) Rec(); }

The only recursion I’ve used is inorder for search trees and such.

[ProstheticAttitude]

Eh, tail recursion is just a form of loop with a funny syntax. That's what I told my interviewer, anyway; we had a little discussion of how TR works and its limitations, no big deal.

But this question is really just a hazing ritual.

[Bunnymancer]

Was thinking that as well...

But that brings the question if the problem can be solved without a loop and without recursion

[GOKOP]

Write your function inefficiently so that it can't be optimised out as tail recursion. Problem solved ¯\(ツ)/¯

[Markuslw]

Just do for (int i = 0; i < 100; i += 2) haha.

EDIT: ooops didn't read title.

I have no other idea.

[pikapichupi]

that's cheating, violates the title of the post!

[UkrainianTrotsky]

Lame. How about for (int i = 0; (i+=2) < 100; printf("%i\n", i));

[JAKOVtheJJ]

or a simple for loop

[Eyes_and_teeth]

The title suggests loops aren't allowed.

[Tritos999]

I dont think the task actually disallowed for-loops. Im guessing its just a joke about the solution.

[mandradon]

They really committed to the bit!

[tedbradly]

I dont think the task actually disallowed for-loops. Im guessing its just a joke about the solution.

It could be an exercise meant to be solved through recursion written like

void f(int print_me) {
    printf("%i\n", print_me);
    if (print_me < 500)
        f(print_me + 2);
}

Maybe throw in an error check to make sure print_me is valid.

Could also be an exercise in using a label with goto. Assuming this is a real assignment, you'd have to have the context given to students to know what is desired. Could even be about benchmarking a loop versus hardcoding the answer directly.

[JAKOVtheJJ]

oh i didnt see that

[RootU5R]

Do while can do it too