# Syntax **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [26 March 2003 20:29 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361 "2003-03-26T20:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![daniel11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@daniel11](https://rubytalk.org/u/daniel11)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 20:29 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/1 "2003-03-26T20:29:40Z")
hello, in c++ I can write `i++´´. The same in ruby:`i=i+1´´. Is there a better (shorter) way to increase a variable in ruby? daniel ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_Duncan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Paul\_Duncan](https://rubytalk.org/u/Paul_Duncan)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 20:34 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/2 "2003-03-26T20:34:24Z")
> hello, > > in c++ I can write `i++´´. The same in ruby: `i=i+1´´. > > Is there a better (shorter) way to increase a variable in ruby? i += 1 > **···** > > - daniel (offstuff@aon.at) wrote: > > > daniel > > – > Paul Duncan [pabs@pablotron.org](mailto:pabs@pablotron.org) pabs in #gah (OPN IRC) > [http://www.pablotron.org/](http://www.pablotron.org/) OpenPGP Key ID: 0x82C29562 ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Campbell1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Michael\_Campbell1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Michael_Campbell1)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 20:35 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/3 "2003-03-26T20:35:54Z")
i += 1 > **···** > > — daniel [offstuff@aon.at](mailto:offstuff@aon.at) wrote: > > > hello, > > > > in c++ I can write `i++´´. The same in ruby: `i=i+1´´. > > > > Is there a better (shorter) way to increase a variable in ruby? > > * * * > > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS’ NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! > [http://platinum.yahoo.com](http://platinum.yahoo.com) ---
**Author:** ![Stephan\_Kamper3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Stephan\_Kamper3](https://rubytalk.org/u/Stephan_Kamper3)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 20:49 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/4 "2003-03-26T20:49:48Z")
daniel wrote: > hello, > > in c++ I can write `i++´´. The same in ruby: `i=i+1´´. Hi Daniel, how about i += 1 ? And, no there’s no way to do i++ in Ruby. For a discussion search this news group (resp. mailing list). Happy programming Stephan ---
**Author:** ![Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e95f7d/32.png) [@Robert](https://rubytalk.org/u/Robert)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 22:09 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/5 "2003-03-26T22:09:59Z")
class Fixnum def inc(val=1) self += val end end 1.inc 🙂 “Stephan Kämper” [Stephan.Kaemper@Schleswig-Holstein.de](mailto:Stephan.Kaemper@Schleswig-Holstein.de) schrieb im Newsbeitrag [news:b5t2t0$2cuq4p$1@ID-96582.news.dfncis.de](mailto:news:b5t2t0$2cuq4p$1@ID-96582.news.dfncis.de)… > **···** > > > daniel wrote: > > > > > hello, > > > > > > in c++ I can write `i++´´. The same in ruby: `i=i+1´´. > > > > Hi Daniel, > > > > how about > > > > i += 1 ? > > > > And, no there’s no way to do i++ in Ruby. For a discussion search this > > news group (resp. mailing list). > > > > Happy programming > > > > Stephan ---
**Author:** ![Bermejo\_Rodrigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@Bermejo\_Rodrigo](https://rubytalk.org/u/Bermejo_Rodrigo)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 22:15 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/6 "2003-03-26T22:15:36Z")
irb(main):006:0\> class Fixnum irb(main):007:1\> def inc(val=1) irb(main):008:2\> self += val irb(main):009:2\> end irb(main):010:1\> end SyntaxError: compile error (irb):8: Can’t change the value of self self += val ^ from (irb):10 irb(main):011:0\> ^C (%:~)- ruby -v ruby 1.6.7 (2002-03-19) [i386-linux] Robert wrote: > **···** > > > class Fixnum > > def inc(val=1) > > self += val > > end > > end > > > > 1.inc > > > > 🙂 > > > > “Stephan Kämper” [Stephan.Kaemper@Schleswig-Holstein.de](mailto:Stephan.Kaemper@Schleswig-Holstein.de) schrieb im > > Newsbeitrag [news:b5t2t0$2cuq4p$1@ID-96582.news.dfncis.de](mailto:news:b5t2t0$2cuq4p$1@ID-96582.news.dfncis.de)… > > > > > daniel wrote: > > > > > > > hello, > > > > > > > > in c++ I can write `i++´´. The same in ruby: `i=i+1´´. > > > > > > Hi Daniel, > > > > > > how about > > > > > > i += 1 ? > > > > > > And, no there’s no way to do i++ in Ruby. For a discussion search this > > > news group (resp. mailing list). > > > > > > Happy programming > > > > > > Stephan ---
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Carrera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@Daniel\_Carrera](https://rubytalk.org/u/Daniel_Carrera)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 23:10 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/7 "2003-03-26T23:10:48Z")
That doesn’t work, but ‘1.succ’ does. > **···** > > On Thu, Mar 27, 2003 at 07:09:59AM +0900, Robert wrote: > > > class Fixnum > > def inc(val=1) > > self += val > > end > > end > > > > 1.inc > > > > 🙂 > > ## – Daniel Carrera Graduate Teaching Assistant. Math Dept. University of Maryland. (301) 405-5137 > > en banc: en banc (ahn-BAHNK) adjective, adverb > Having all the judges of a court present in a hearing. ---
**Author:** ![HAL\_9000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90ced4/32.png) [@HAL\_9000](https://rubytalk.org/u/HAL_9000)\ **Post date:** [26 March 2003 23:02 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/8 "2003-03-26T23:02:20Z")
Rodrigo, I think Robert was being facetious. This can’t work for a variety of reasons. Robert’s point (I think) was: What do you get if you increment a constant? It’s surely wrong to change all values of 1 to something else. For example, if you actually _could_ transform the object 1 into the object 2, then this code fragment x = 1 y = 1.inc puts x would print 2 rather than 1. The lack of a ++ operator (and the rationale behind it) has been discussed many times over the last three years or so. If it’s not in the FAQ at [http://www.rubygarden.org/iowa/faqtotum](http://www.rubygarden.org/iowa/faqtotum) – well, it should be. 🙂 And you can also search the list archives at [www.ruby-talk.org](http://www.ruby-talk.org) (search for ++ or increment). Cheers, Hal > **···** > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: [rodrigo.bermejo@ps.ge.com](mailto:rodrigo.bermejo@ps.ge.com) > To: “ruby-talk ML” [ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org](mailto:ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org) > Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 4:15 PM > Subject: Re: syntax > > > irb(main):006:0\> class Fixnum > > irb(main):007:1\> def inc(val=1) > > irb(main):008:2\> self += val > > irb(main):009:2\> end > > irb(main):010:1\> end > > SyntaxError: compile error > > (irb):8: Can’t change the value of self > > self += val > > ^ > > from (irb):10 > > irb(main):011:0\> ^C > > (%:~)- ruby -v > > ruby 1.6.7 (2002-03-19) [i386-linux] > > > > Robert wrote: > > > > > class Fixnum > > > def inc(val=1) > > > self += val > > > end > > > end > > > > > > 1.inc > > > > > > 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Stok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Mike\_Stok](https://rubytalk.org/u/Mike_Stok)\ **Post date:** [27 March 2003 03:10 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/syntax/5361/9 "2003-03-27T03:10:57Z")
In article [20030326231043.GA1684@math.umd.edu](mailto:20030326231043.GA1684@math.umd.edu), > **···** > > Daniel Carrera [dcarrera@math.umd.edu](mailto:dcarrera@math.umd.edu) wrote: > > > On Thu, Mar 27, 2003 at 07:09:59AM +0900, Robert wrote: > > > > > class Fixnum > > > def inc(val=1) > > > self += val > > > end > > > end > > > > > > 1.inc > > > > > > 🙂 > > > > That doesn’t work, but ‘1.succ’ does. > > But surely the original poster was really trying to get something like > > i = 1 > i.succ! # hypothetical 🙂 > > which is a tad different… > > Mike > > – > [mike@stok.co.uk](mailto:mike@stok.co.uk) | The “`Stok’ disclaimers” apply. > [http://www.stok.co.uk/~mike/](http://www.stok.co.uk/~mike/) | GPG PGP Key 1024D/059913DA > [mike@exegenix.com](mailto:mike@exegenix.com) | Fingerprint 0570 71CD 6790 7C28 3D60 > [http://www.exegenix.com/](http://www.exegenix.com/) | 75D2 9EC4 C1C0 0599 13DA