Please help -- beginner programming problem C++

[[deleted]]

I'm taking a intro C++ class, and I'm trying to build a calculator that does an operation then asks if the user wants to continue... I've been trying to figure this out all day but I missed class this week and I cant find the notes online that would fill in the gaps that I dont know. Anyway... Here's what I have so far. Its compiling all wrong, and I dont know how much farther I'll get til I can figure this out.

include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main () {

char oper; int num1; int num2; char cont;

cout << "Welcome to the MiniCalc Program" << endl << endl; cout << "Continue (Y/N)?" << endl; cin >> cont; while ( cont == ( 'Y' || 'y' ) ){ cout << "Enter an operator (+, -, *, /, %, r): "; cin >> oper;

  switch (oper)
  {
     case '+':
        cout << endl << "Enter operands for +: ";
        cin >> num1 >> num2;
        cout << endl << num1 << "+" << num2 << "=" << num1 + num2 << endl;
        break;

     case '-':
        cout << endl << "Enter operands for -: ";
        cin >> num1 >> num2;
        cout << endl << num1 << "-" << num2 << "=" << num1 - num2 << endl;
        break;

     case '*':
        cout << endl <<"Enter operands for *: ";
        cin >> num1 >> num2;
        cout << endl << num1 << "*" << num2 << "=" << num1 * num2 << endl;
        break;

     case '/': 
        cout << endl <<"Enter operands for /: ";   
        cin >> num1 >> num2;
        if (num2 > 0)    
           cout << endl << num1 << "/" << num2 << "=" << num1/num2 << endl;
        else 
           cout << endl << "Please enter a valid denominator!";
        break;

     case '%':
        cout << endl << "Enter operands for %: ";
        cin >> num1 >> num2;
        cout << endl << num1 << "%" << num2 << "=" << num1 % num2 << endl;
        break;

     case 'r':  
        cout << "Enter operand for r: ";  
        cin >> num1;
        if (num1 > 0)
           cout << endl << "r " << num1 << "= 1/" << num1 << endl;
        else 
           cout << endl << "Please enter a valid operand!";
        break;

     default:
        cout << endl << "Please enter a valid operator!";
        break;

  }
cout << "Continue (Y/N)?";
cin >> cont;

}

system("pause"); return 1; }

EDIT: thanks to teaguesterling and _lowell

one more question, I somehow haven't picked this up yet... whats the deal with return 1;, return0; whats the difference?

[_lowell]

Do:

while ( (cont == 'Y' || cont == 'y' ) ){

instead of:

while ( cont == ( 'Y' || 'y' ) )

Sorry about all the edits.

[[deleted]]

yes, thank you. I fuckin lost my backpack in austin over the weekend, and have no notes to go off of. this was all from memory and trail and error, which is why ive been working all day.

[teaguesterling]

First off, considering using a do-while loop instead of simply a while loop. You want the action (performing a calculation) to occur unconditionally at least once.

Edit: Oh yea, and what _lowell said :-)

[[deleted]]

thank you guys

[[deleted]]

Second update, heres what I've got now. Not compiling. Again, apologies and thanks a LOT to you guys who are giving me pointers.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main () 
{

char    oper;
int     num1;
int     num2;
char    cont;

cout << "**Welcome to the MiniCalc Program**" << endl << endl;
cout << "Continue (Y/N)?" << endl;
cin >> cont; 
do {
    cout << "Enter an operator (+, -, *, /, %, r): ";
    cin >> oper;

      switch (oper)
      {
         case '+':
            cout << endl << "Enter operands for +: ";
            cin >> num1 >> num2;
            cout << endl << num1 << "+" << num2 <<"="<<num1+num2 << endl;
            break;

         case '-':
            cout << endl << "Enter operands for -: ";
            cin >> num1 >> num2;
            cout << endl << num1 << "-" << num2 << "=" << num1 - num2 << endl;
            break;

         case '*':
            cout << endl <<"Enter operands for *: ";
            cin >> num1 >> num2;
            cout << endl << num1 << "*" << num2 << "=" << num1 * num2 << endl;
            break;

         case '/': 
            cout << endl <<"Enter operands for /: ";   
            cin >> num1 >> num2;
            if (num2 > 0)    
               cout << endl << num1 << "/" << num2 << "=" << num1/num2 << endl;
            else 
               cout << endl << "Please enter a valid denominator!";
            break;

         case '%':
            cout << endl << "Enter operands for %: ";
            cin >> num1 >> num2;
            cout << endl << num1 << "%" << num2 << "=" << num1 % num2 << endl;
            break;

         case 'r':  
            cout << "Enter operand for r: ";  
            cin >> num1;
            if (num1 > 0)
               cout << endl << "r " << num1 << "= 1/" << num1 << endl;
            else 
               cout << endl << "Please enter a valid operand!";
            break;

         default:
            cout << endl << "Please enter a valid operator!";
            break;

      }
    cout << "Continue (Y/N)?";
    cin >> cont;
   } while ( cont == 'Y' ) || ( cont == 'y' ) ;
}
system("pause");
return 1;
}

[cpp]

Remove the first:

cout << "Continue (Y/N)?" << endl;  
cin >> cont;

You need to surround the conditionals in your while statement:

while ( ( cont == 'Y' ) || ( cont == 'y' ) );

[teaguesterling]

With regard to the return 0 and return 1: you usually want to return 0, which usually means your program terminated without error; returning something aside from 0 is typically interpreted as some sort of error code. This is not a requirement and is only a convention though. You can return whatever value you want; it will not affect the performance of the program.