Here are the few definitions I read about lvalues
Expressions which can be used with & operator. i.e if &(expression) is not an error, then the expression is an lvalue
Expression which results in objects that are not temporary
lvalue expressions can be used on both RHS and LHS of = operator
rvalue expressions can be used only on RHS
Please correct if wrong
Here's the question
I read ++x is a lvalue and x++ is an rvalue
int i = 0;
printf("%p",(void*)&++i);
If so, why is this an error?
If lvalue expressions can be used on lhs
int i = 0;
++i = 10;
Why can't I use the above statement??Both the above are resulting in errors
Update: Both the above statements are fine in C++
Neither ++i nor i++ are lvalues.
You might be thinking about *x++ and *++x which are both lvalues (if x has a pointer type).
++i is an lvalue only in C++, in C it's an rvalue (called value of an expression in the C standard) which cannot be assigned.
I thought that this question would be closed, and I only left a comment. What a big mistake;)
In C (the question's tag is C) ++i operator does "return" a value, but not the variable itself. Hence it's address can not be retrieved. In other words ++i is not an lvalue. Neither is i++.
C++ is may be different from C in regard of certain constructs being l- and r-values.
http://eli.thegreenplace.net/2011/12/15/understanding-lvalues-and-rvalues-in-c-and-c/
For C++ these two are lvalues.
This simple code:
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
int i=0;
++i = 10;
printf("\n%d\n", i);
++i = ++i;
printf("%d\n", i);
}
Compiled with gcc will give:
lvalue.c:3: error: invalid lvalue in assignment
lvalue.c:4: warning: incompatible implicit declaration of built-in function ‘printf’
lvalue.c:5: error: invalid lvalue in assignment
and for g++ compiles correctly and yelds:
10
12
The (rather vague) formal definition from C11:
(emphasis in bold font was added by me)
6.3.2.1 Lvalues, arrays, and function designators
An lvalue is an expression (with an object type other than void) that potentially designates an object (64); if an lvalue does not designate an object when it is evaluated, the behavior is undefined. When an object is said to have a particular type, the type is specified by the lvalue used to designate the object. A modifiable lvalue is an lvalue that does not have array type, does not have an incomplete type, does not have a const-qualified type, and if it is a structure or union, does not have any member (including, recursively, any member or element of all contained aggregates or unions) with a const-qualified type.
Foot note (not normative) with further explanation:
64) The name "lvalue" comes originally from the assignment expression E1 = E2, in which the left operand E1 is required to be a (modifiable) lvalue. It is perhaps better considered as representing an object "locator value". What is sometimes called "rvalue" is in this International Standard described as the "value of an expression".
So an lvalue must be something that "potentially" designates an object. Whatever "potentially" means is open for personal interpretation...
Despite the above foot note, the C standard lacks a formal definition of a rvalue. Ironically, the only place in the whole standard mentioning rvalue is that one foot note.
In your case, neither ++i nor i++ designates an actual object, so neither of them are lvalues. They are rather rvalues.
By making ++i an lvalue, imagine that you can now do:
int i=2;
++i = ++i;
Apart from nasal daemons, what would you like i to look like afterwards? 4? 3?
Related
This question already has answers here:
What is the reasoning behind the naming of "lvalue" and "rvalue"?
(6 answers)
Closed 3 years ago.
I've heard the terms lvalue and rvalue come up when working with pointers.
However, I don't fully understand their meaning.
What are lvalues and rvalues?
Note 1: This is a question about C's lvalues and rvalues, not C++'s. It's also about their functionality, not their naming.
Note 2: I already fully understand these concepts. This is meant as a canonical duplicate target.
I've got a longer answer here, but basically C11 draft n1570 6.3.2.1p1:
An lvalue is an expression (with an object type other than void) that potentially designates an object [...]
C11 n1570 Footnote 64:
64) The name lvalue comes originally from the assignment expression E1 = E2, in which the left operand E1 is required to be a (modifiable) lvalue. It is perhaps better considered as representing an object locator value. What is sometimes called rvalue is in this International Standard described as the value of an expression. An obvious example of an lvalue is an identifier of an object. As a further example, if E is a unary expression that is a pointer to an object, *E is an lvalue that designates the object to which E points.
Not all lvalues are modifiable, i.e. can appear on the left side of an assignment. Examples of unmodifiable lvalues are those that
have array type,
have incomplete type
are const-qualified
structs or unions that have const-qualified members either directly or recursively
An lvalue can be converted to a value of an expression through lvalue conversion. I.e. in
int a = 0, b = 1;
a = b;
both a and b are lvalues, as they both potentially - and actually - designate objects, but b undergoes lvalue conversion on the right-hand side of the assignment, and the value of the expression b after lvalue conversion is 1.
"Potentially designating an object" means that given int *p;, *p designates an object of type int iff p points to an object of type int - but *p is an lvalue even if p == NULL or indeterminate.
According to the C Reference Manual (3rd Edition):
An lvalue is an expression that refers to an object in such a way that
the object may be examined or altered. Only an lvalue expression may
be used on the left-hand side of an assignment. An expression that is
not an lvalue is sometimes called an rvalue because it can only appear
on the right-hand side of an assignment. An lvalue can have an
incomplete array type, but not void.
When I try to compile this code
int main() {
int i = 0;
++(++i);
}
I get this error message.
test.c:3:5: error: lvalue required as increment operand
++(++i);
^
What is the error message saying? Is this something that gets picked up by the parser, or is it only discovered during semantic analysis?
++i will give an rvalue1 after the evaluation and you can't apply ++ on an rvalue.
§6.5.3.1 (p1):
The operand of the prefix increment or decrement operator shall have atomic, qualified, or unqualified real or pointer type, and shall be a modifiable lvalue.
1. What is sometimes called "rvalue" is in this International Standard described as the "value of an expression". - §6.3.2.1 footnote 64).
A lvalue is a value you can write to / assign to.
You can apply ++ to i (i is modified) but you cannot apply ++ to the result of the previous ++ operator. I wouldn't have any effect anyway.
Aside: C++ allows that (probably because ++ operator returns a non-const reference on the modified value)
The issue that the (++i) returns new integer value, and please note ++ operation needs some variable for assignment, not a value (you are trying to increment an integer not a variable), so you can use this instead :
i += 2;
or
i = i + 2;
The expressions x++; and x*2; are reported as illegal. Compiler generates error. However, in case of x+1; there's no error reported.
Can anyone help me understand why the particular expressions are illegal? Or, in other way, why the addition is legal?
Code:
#include <stdio.h>
int main(void)
{
int x[]={1,2,3,4,5};
x++;
x+1;
x*2;
}
Among these three statements
x++;
x+1;
x*2;
there is only two statements are illegal. This statement
x+1;
is correct. In this case in the expression the array designator is converted to pointer to its first element.
Multiplicative operators are not defined for pointers. So this statement
x*2;
is illegal.
Arrays are non-modifiable lvalues. You may not change an array designator. So this statement
x++;
is illegal.
Actually, you need to understand how and when the operators are allowed. Let's see one by one.
Quoting from C11,
++, Postfix increment, chapter §6.5.2.3
The operand of the postfix increment or decrement operator shall have atomic, qualified,
or unqualified real or pointer type, and shall be a modifiable lvalue.
+, Additive operator, chapter §6.5.6
For addition, either both operands shall have arithmetic type, or one operand shall be a
pointer to a complete object type and the other shall have integer type. (Incrementing is
equivalent to adding 1.)
*, Multiplicative operator, chapter §6.5.5
Each of the operands shall have arithmetic type. [...]
Now, in your usage
x++; --> x is not a modifiable lvalue, it is of "array type". This causes error.
x+1; --> Satisfies the requirement see notes for array decay, hence valid.
x*2; --> x is not arithmetic type (its'a pointer type), hence invalid.
Additional notes: (all emphasis mine)
"Modifiable lvalue:"
Quoting chapter §6.3.2.1,
An lvalue is an expression (with an object type other than void) that potentially
designates an object; [...] A modifiable lvalue is an lvalue that
does not have array type, does not have an incomplete type, does not have a const-qualified
type, and if it is a structure or union, does not have any member (including,
recursively, any member or element of all contained aggregates or unions) with a const-qualified
type.
"Arithmetic Type:"
Quoting §6.2.5,
Integer and floating types are collectively called arithmetic types. [...]
"Array decay:"
Quoting §6.3.2.1,
Except when it is the operand of the sizeof operator, the _Alignof operator, or the
unary & operator, or is a string literal used to initialize an array, an expression that has
type ‘‘array of type’’ is converted to an expression with type ‘‘pointer to type’’ that points
to the initial element of the array object and is not an lvalue. [...]
Here, x is an array and you cannot modify the address of an array. It is illegal in C.
GCC compiler gives an error :
In function 'main':
5:5: error: lvalue required as increment operand
x++;
^
7:5: error: invalid operands to binary * (have 'int *' and 'int')
x*2;
what does the error message "Lvalue required" actually mean?
An lvalue is something that can appear on the left side of an assignment, in other words 'something that can be assigned'
So, look for an assignment where the left hand side isn't 'assignable', for example, something as simple as this might trigger such an error
if (0 = foo)
{
}
Here you've got an attempt to assign to a constant because of accidentally using = rather than ==
See also
often used seldom defined terms: lvalue
lvalue and rvalue
“l-value required” error
It means the implementation expects an object, but you just passed a value or function. This happens for assignments you passed a non-lvalue or for address-of operations applied to non-functions.
Lvalue stands for "location value" and means an expression that refers to an object either declared as register or to a memory location. Something like 42 is a value that matches neither criteria. More formally there are three categories
Lvalues: Referring to objects. This includes objects declared const. Such are non-modifiable lvalues.
Function designators: Referring to functions. printf is a function designator, but &printf is not, while *&printf is again.
Others: Sometimes called "rvalue" and by the Standard described as "the value of an expression". Examples are var + 0 (yielding a value not associated with objects anymore), or an enumerator of an enumeration. &printf belongs to this category.
The C99 standard states (6.3.2.1):
An lvalue is an expression with an object type or an incomplete type other than void; if an lvalue does not designate an object when it is evaluated, the behavior is undefined. When an object is said to have a particular type, the type is specified by the lvalue used to designate the object. A modifiable lvalue is an lvalue that does not have array type, does not have an incomplete type, does not have a const-qualified type, and if it is a structure or union, does not have any member (including, recursively, any member or element of all contained aggregates or unions) with a const-qualified type.
The name lvalue comes originally from the assignment expression E1 = E2, in which the left operand E1 is required to be a (modifiable) lvalue. It is perhaps better considered as representing an object "locator value". What is sometimes called rvalue is in this International Standard described as the "value of an expression".
In other words, an lvalue is something that you can locate for potentially changing. A modifiable lvalue is one that you're actually allowed to change.
For example, the C statement:
x = 7;
is valid because x is an lvalue. On the other hand, the statement:
14 = 7;
is not valid because 14 is not something you can locate for an assignment.
The snippet:
const int x = 7;
actually creates an lvalue called x even though you're not permitted to change it (it's not a modifiable `lvalue).
the error cometh if you code somrthing like function(parameter) = value; because you cannot assign value to anything that is not a possible container for it.
Most likely it means that you tried to assign a value to something that cannot be assigned to. For example, both of the following would probably cause that error:
5 = 5;
myObject->myMethod() = 5;
Just wonder if a literal string is an lvalue or an rvalue. Are other literals (like int, float, char etc) lvalue or rvalue?
Is the return value of a function an lvalue or rvalue?
How do you tell the difference?
string literals are lvalues, but you can't change them
rvalue, but if it's a pointer and non-NULL, the object it points to is an lvalue
The C standard recognizes the original terms stood for left and right as in L = R; however, it says to think of lvalue as locator value, which roughly means you can get the address of an object and therefore that object has a location. (See 6.3.2.1 in C99.)
By the same token, the standard has abandoned the term rvalue, and just uses "the value of an expression", which is practically everything, including literals such as ints, chars, floats, etc. Additionally, anything you can do with an rvalue can be done with an lvalue too, so you can think of all lvalues as being rvalues.
There are two kinds of expressions in C:
1. lvalue: An expression that is an lvalue may appear as either the left-hand or right-hand side of an assignment.
2. rvalue: An expression that is an rvalue may appear on the right- but not left-hand side of an assignment.
Variables are lvalues and so may appear on the left-hand side of an assignment. Numeric literals are rvalues and so may not be assigned and cannot appear on the left-hand side. Following is a valid statement:
int g = 20;
But following is not a valid statement and would generate compile-time error:
10=20;
there's a definition for C++ from Microsoft. By this definition,
a literal string, say "hello world", is lvalue, because it's const and not temporary. Actually it persists across your application's lifetime.