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I'm trying to make a class called LoopingInt. It stores two integers, one being the maximum value of the integer, and the other being a stored integer. When the integer falls below 0 or above the maximum value, it "loops" back around. So if you add 3 to a LoopingInt with a value of 4, and the max value is 6, the internally stored integer in the class will be 7, but asking for the integer externally will return 0.

What I want to do is make it so I can work with LoopingInts as if they were integers. I can already assign LoopingInts to int objects (ie int x = myLoopingInt), but I can't assign an int to a LoopingInt because I can't figure out how to pass back a LoopingInt object with the right maximum value. I need the maximum value from the left-hand value, but I don't know how to get it.

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    I would name it WraparoundInt or something similar, as the notion of integer overflow causing the value to wraparound is familiar to many programmers. Commented Nov 20, 2010 at 23:01
  • FYI what you are constructing is a modular arithmetic system on a congruence class of integers; thereby you form a commutative ring. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_arithmetic for some mathematical background that might be helpful to you. Commented Nov 20, 2010 at 23:21
  • Sounds like a good idea. I'll do that. Commented Nov 20, 2010 at 23:22

3 Answers 3

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If you're asking how to fix:

LoopingInt myLoopingInt = new LoopingInt(4, 10);
myLoopingInt = x;

so that myLoopingInt's Value member is modified but the MaxValue member stays the same then I don't think its possible. You can set a property instead:

myLoopingInt.Value = x;
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For now I think I'll just have to accept this fact, as irritating as it may be.
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You can write an implicit conversion operator:

public static implicit operator LoopingInt(int i)
{
  return new LoopingInt(i);
}
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1 Comment

Well, my idea already is to use an implicit operator, however, what I need to do is something like this: myLoopingInt = 5 With the maximum value of myLoopingInt remaining the same. To do that I need to get that value from the left-hand value, and I don't know how.
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Well, you have to decide the semantics that you want:

class LoopingInt32 {
    // details elided

    public LoopingInt32(int maximumValue, int value) { // details elided }

    public static implicit operator LoopingInt32(int x) {
        int maximumValue = some function of x; <-- you implement this
        int value = some other function of x;  <-- you implement this
        return new LoopingInt32(maximumValue, value);
    }
}

We can't decide this for you.

Edit: What you're asking for is completely impossible The right-hand-side of an assignment never knows about the left-hand-side. There might not even be a left-hand-side (consider SomeFunctionThatEatsLoopingInt32(5))!

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2 Comments

Sorry, should have been clearer on my question. maximumValue is independent of the value of x. It is stored in the left-hand value but I don't know how to get it. value I already know how to get - it is simply x.
@Timballisto: Oh. Then what you're asking is completely impossible. The right-hand-side of an assignment never knows about the left-hand-side.

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