Chapter 8: Problem 9

What is an off-by-one error?

Short Answer

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Answer: An off-by-one error is a common programming mistake that occurs when a loop iterates one time too many or one time too few, often due to incorrect boundary conditions. To correct this error, the loop's boundary condition should be carefully adjusted to ensure the correct range of values are iterated through. For example, if a loop should iterate through the first 5 numbers, the boundary condition should be set to `i <= 5`, instead of `i <= 6`, to avoid one extra iteration.

Step by step solution

Definition of Off-by-One Error

An off-by-one error is a common programming error that occurs when a loop iterates one time too many or one time too few. This is often due to an incorrect boundary condition in a loop, causing the programmer to be off in their calculations by one. It can lead to unexpected behavior and bugs in the software or program.

Example of Off-by-One Error

Suppose we want to print the first 5 numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) using a loop. Here is an example of a code with an off-by-one error: ``` for(int i = 1; i <= 6; i++) { System.out.println(i); } ``` In this example, the loop iterates through 6 values (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), instead of the desired 5 values. The boundary condition `i <= 6` is incorrect because the loop will run one extra iteration that is not needed.

Correcting the Off-by-One Error

To correct the off-by-one error in the previous example, we can simply adjust the boundary condition of the loop. Here's the corrected code: ``` for(int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { System.out.println(i); } ``` Now, the loop iterates through the correct range of values (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), successfully avoiding the off-by-one error. In conclusion, an off-by-one error is a common programming mistake caused by incorrect loop boundary conditions, resulting in one extra or one less iteration. This error can be easily fixed by carefully considering the correct range of values to iterate through.

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What is an off-by-one error?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Definition of Off-by-One Error

Example of Off-by-One Error

Correcting the Off-by-One Error

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