Yes! The easiest way to check how a value will be converted is to create a small test program. Let's look at how to do this safely:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
// Store the original value in a variable
double Original{3.7};
// Then create new variable of the target type
int Converted{static_cast<int>(Original)};
// Print both to see the difference
cout << "Original value: " << Original;
cout << "\nConverted value: " << Converted;
}Original value: 3.7
Converted value: 3We can do the same thing with other types too. Here's how different number types convert to bool:
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
int Zero{0};
int One{1};
int FortyTwo{42};
bool FromZero{static_cast<bool>(Zero)};
bool FromOne{static_cast<bool>(One)};
bool FromFortyTwo{static_cast<bool>(FortyTwo)};
// Makes cout show "true"/"false"
cout << std::boolalpha;
cout << "0 converts to: " << FromZero << "\n";
cout << "1 converts to: " << FromOne << "\n";
cout << "42 converts to: " << FromFortyTwo;
}0 converts to: false
1 converts to: true
42 converts to: trueNotice we used static_cast<>() in these examples. This is the safe way to do conversions in C++. While implicit conversions will work too, using static_cast<>() makes it clear to other programmers (and yourself!) that you intended to do the conversion.
Remember that some conversions might lose data (like when converting from double to int), so it's always good to test your conversions with realistic values before using them in your actual program.
Answers to questions are automatically generated and may not have been reviewed.
Implicit Conversions and Narrowing Casts
Going into more depth on what is happening when a variable is used as a different type
