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% symbol, question?

 
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I know the symbol "%" means remainder. But what is actually going on?

EX

int num1 = 0;

num1 = 10 % 6;

System.out.println(num1);

Prints 4

How? whats going on?
 
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10 |_6__
4 1

It�s what the % symbol does.


[ August 30, 2006: Message edited by: Cristiano Mariano ]
 
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Divide it out as an integer. You would get 1 remainder 4.
[ August 30, 2006: Message edited by: Rusty Shackleford ]
 
Mike Brooks
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Ok, thanks

 
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Hello,

% is Modulo Operator. It will give remainder value of int operations.

Remember % is not like C or C++. In java it operates on double and float values too.

6 X 1 =6 and 10 -6 = 4 ( remainder ) for int.

Check with double ...
 
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It is probably better to call the % the remainder operator rather than modulo because it might be confused with the modulus of a number, ie its value without a + or - sign.

I may be mistaken, but I think that the division part of most computer chips produces two results, a quotient and a remainder. So the / and % operators both call the same part of the chip and the same process, they simply get their hands on different outputs from the same thing.

It is worthwhile printing out 7 / 3, -7 / 3, 7 / -3 and -7 / -3.
Then print out 7 % 3, -7 % 3, 7 % -3, and -7 % -3. Then remember which combinations print out positive and negative results.

If you look up the java.util.Formatter class in the API, you will find a different use for the % symbol.
 
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Remember these:
With %, the result of m % n is always less than the divisor n. To calculate m % n with integers m and n:

m % n == m - (m / n) * n

Modulus Operator Shortcuts:

Ignore the signs of the operands, calculate the remainder, and negate the remainder if the dividend (first number) is negative

Thus, with modulus the result is the same sign of the dividend.

If the dividend is smaller than the divisor, the result will be the dividend

JC
 
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Originally posted by Campbell Ritchie:
It is probably better to call the % the remainder operator rather than modulo because it might be confused with the modulus of a number, ie its value without a + or - sign.



You are right about modulus, but modulo also has a specific meaning in mathematics, which is not too far from the meaning in computer languages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modulo
 
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