do-while Swimming

So far you have only worked with one type of loop: the while loop. But there is another type: the "do-while" loop.

The do-while loop works almost exactly like a while loop. In fact, most of the time they are equivalent. Examine the program below to see if you can figure out the tiny difference.

Files Needed

(Do not re-type this program. Simply download a copy of the file by right-clicking and choosing "Save link as..." from the context menu. Save it into your normal code folder.)

What You Should See

Goofus and Gallant are both going swimming. They hate to swim in cold water; once the water temperature drops below 79°F, they stop.

Run the program, and type in 80.5 for the water temperature.

What is the current water temperature? 80.5

Okay, so the current water temperature is 80.5F.
GALLANT approaches the lake....
        GALLANT swims for a bit. Swim time: 1 min.
        The current water temperature is now 80.0F.
        GALLANT swims for a bit. Swim time: 2 min.
        The current water temperature is now 79.5F.
        GALLANT swims for a bit. Swim time: 3 min.
        The current water temperature is now 79.0F.
        GALLANT swims for a bit. Swim time: 4 min.
        The current water temperature is now 78.5F.
GALLANT stops swimming. Total swim time: 4 min.

Okay, so the current water temperature is 80.5F.
GOOFUS  approaches the lake....
        GOOFUS  swims for a bit. Swim time: 1 min.
        The current water temperature is now 80.0F.
        GOOFUS  swims for a bit. Swim time: 2 min.
        The current water temperature is now 79.5F.
        GOOFUS  swims for a bit. Swim time: 3 min.
        The current water temperature is now 79.0F.
        GOOFUS  swims for a bit. Swim time: 4 min.
        The current water temperature is now 78.5F.
GOOFUS  stops swimming. Total swim time: 4 min.

Study Drills

  1. Run the program, and type in 80.5 for the current water temperature. Do Goofus and Gallant swim for the same amount of time? Put your answer in a comment.
  2. Run the program again, but this time enter 78 for the starting temperature. What changes?
  3. Does Gallant check the water temperature first, or does he just dive right in?
  4. What about Goofus? Does he check the water temperature first or just dive in?
  5. What is the difference between a while loop and a "do-while" loop?
  6. One of these loops is sometimes called a "pre-test loop", and the other is called a "post-test loop". Which one is which?

©2013–2015 Graham Mitchell

This assignment is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
Creative Commons License