Is there a better way?

Is there a better way to achieve the same result (quicker, less memory, etc..)? In this situation, the user types in how many people he/she needs to transport to wherever. The options are buses and vans. 50 people to a bus, 10 to a van. It tells the user how many buses and vans he/she will need.

code:



Thanks in advance.
-andy

Hi,

Yes, there is. Integer arithmetic and the modulus operator (%) can get you the results without looping, so I presume it would be faster, especially if you had 40 million people:

const int BUS_CAPACITY=50;
cont int VAN_CAPACITY=10;

int people=0;
cin>>people;


int buses=people/BUS_CAPACITY;
int remaining_people=people % BUS_CAPACITY;

int vans=remaining_people/VAN_CAPACITY;
remaining_people=remaining_people % VAN_CAPACITY;

You should also avoid using "magic" numbers. If for some reason the capacity of the vehicles changed, all I would need to change in my example is the initialization of the BUS_CAPACITY and VAN_CAPACITY variables. With your code, you would have to go through and make a lot of changes. Not a big deal with a small program, but with a large program it would be a daunting task.

I dont understand how your method works. Maybe I am just not thinking of this correctly. How do I take into consideration the remainder? here is what the code is now:

"How do I take into consideration the remainder?"

Look up how the modulus operator(%) works.

I understand how it works..I just don't understand how I can use it in this situation with the whole number. I would probably need to add the remainder onto the whole number (remainder being #er of vans).

"I just don't understand how I can use it in this situation with the whole number."

If you answer these questions in order, I think you will understand:

1)If you have 65 people, and a bus holds 50 people, what is stored in the integer variable buses when it is assigned 65/50?

2)What is stored in the integer variable remaining_people when it is assigned 65 % 50?

3)What is stored in the integer variable vans when it is assigned remaining_people/10?

4)Finally what is stored in the variable remaining_people when it is assigned remaining_people % 10?

Post your answers if you're still confused, and I'll check back later.

The only way I could get it to work was with an if statement..Here is the code:


#include <iostream.h>

int main()

{

const int BUS_CAPACITY=50;
const int VAN_CAPACITY=10;
int people = 0;

cout << "people?\n";
cin>>people;

int buses=people/BUS_CAPACITY;
int remaining_people=people % BUS_CAPACITY;
int vans=remaining_people/VAN_CAPACITY;
remaining_people=remaining_people % VAN_CAPACITY;

if (remaining_people > 0)
{
vans++;
}

cout << "You will need " << buses << " buses and "<< vans << " vans.\n";
return 0;

}

Ahah! Now I see the problem you were having with the code I posted--the final remainder. I left that up to you to do what you wanted with it, and your solution takes care of it.

lol..i thought you gave me the whole solution. This was why I was spending all that time figuring out a way it would work with what you gave me.

-andy

lol...Sorry about that.