Difference between pre-increment and post-increment in a loop?

Question

Is there a difference in ++i and i++ in a for loop? Is it simply a syntax thing?

Answer 1

Here is a Java-Sample and the Byte-Code, post- and preIncrement show no difference in Bytecode:

public class PreOrPostIncrement {

    static int somethingToIncrement = 0;

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        final int rounds = 1000;
        postIncrement(rounds);
        preIncrement(rounds);
    }

    private static void postIncrement(final int rounds) {
        for (int i = 0; i < rounds; i++) {
            somethingToIncrement++;
        }
    }

    private static void preIncrement(final int rounds) {
        for (int i = 0; i < rounds; ++i) {
            ++somethingToIncrement;
        }
    }
}

And now for the byte-code (javap -private -c PreOrPostIncrement):

public class PreOrPostIncrement extends java.lang.Object{
static int somethingToIncrement;

static {};
Code:
0:  iconst_0
1:  putstatic   #10; //Field somethingToIncrement:I
4:  return

public PreOrPostIncrement();
Code:
0:  aload_0
1:  invokespecial   #15; //Method java/lang/Object."":()V
4:  return

public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
Code:
0:  sipush  1000
3:  istore_1
4:  sipush  1000
7:  invokestatic    #21; //Method postIncrement:(I)V
10: sipush  1000
13: invokestatic    #25; //Method preIncrement:(I)V
16: return

private static void postIncrement(int);
Code:
0:  iconst_0
1:  istore_1
2:  goto    16
5:  getstatic   #10; //Field somethingToIncrement:I
8:  iconst_1
9:  iadd
10: putstatic   #10; //Field somethingToIncrement:I
13: iinc    1, 1
16: iload_1
17: iload_0
18: if_icmplt   5
21: return

private static void preIncrement(int);
Code:
0:  iconst_0
1:  istore_1
2:  goto    16
5:  getstatic   #10; //Field somethingToIncrement:I
8:  iconst_1
9:  iadd
10: putstatic   #10; //Field somethingToIncrement:I
13: iinc    1, 1
16: iload_1
17: iload_0
18: if_icmplt   5
21: return

}