8/31/2018 if statement - Grading system in C++ - Stack Overflow

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So this is my C++ question :

Write a program that translates a letter grade into a number grade. Letter grades are
A, B, C, D and F, possibly followed by + or -. Their numeric values are 4, 3, 2, 1 and
0. There is no F+ or F-. A + increases the numeric value by 0.3, a – decreases it by
0.3. However, an A+ has value 4.0.
Enter a letter grade: B
The numeric value is 2.7

And here is my code :

int main ()
{
char grade;
int value;
cout << "Enter letter grade : " ;
cin >> grade;

switch(grade)
{
case 'A' : value = 4;
break;
case 'B' : value = 3;
break;
case 'C' : value = 2;
break;
case 'D' : value = 1;
break;
case 'E' : value = 0;
break;
default : cout << "Wrong input " << endl;
break;
}

cout << value;

system("PAUSE");
return 0;

It able to print out 4 for A, 3 for B and

so on. But however, the question
required us to make calculation for
the + and - also. Am I supposed to
use Join
if elseStack Overflow
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switch?
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8/31/2018 if statement - Grading system in C++ - Stack Overflow

c++ if-statement switch-statement

edited Apr 24 '13 at 13:23

asked Apr 24 '13 at 9:15

Rauryn
97 1 3 14

1 First, your char variable grade cannot

take strings which consist of more
than single character i.e., A+, A-. So
use char array instead. Second, then
using if on string comparisons will be
easier. Please redesign. –
Atiq Rahman Apr 24 '13 at 9:19

1 The question also seems to suggest

that 'B' should be worth 3, and then
it's given as an example worth 2.7... –
Chowlett Apr 24 '13 at 9:23

That's why type of value should not be

'int' – Atiq Rahman Apr 24 '13 at 9:24

Okay okay noted. Thanks. – Rauryn

Apr 24 '13 at 9:33

I had some time to spare (on a break),

so I figured I'd whip something up for
fun. Here's a link to the working code
You can see the different outputs,
depending on the input, at the bottom
of the page. Hopefully, you'll find it
useful :) – ShadowScripter Apr 24 '13
at 16:44

3 Answers

If the input is A+ or B- , then it is not

a character anymore. So, get it using
a string of chars, and check the
values.

char a[3];
float m,n;
cin>>a;
if(a[1]=='+')
m=0.3;
else if (a[1]=='-')
m=-0.3;
else
m=0;
switch(a[0])
{ to learn, share knowledge, and build your career.
This site uses cookies//Assign
to deliverthe
ourvalue
services and to show you relevant ads and job listings. By using our site, you
of n as 4,3,2,1 d
acknowledge that you
} have read and understand our , , and our . Your use of
cout<<n+m;
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8/31/2018 if statement - Grading system in C++ - Stack Overflow

will print the grade

edited Apr 24 '13 at 9:27

answered Apr 24 '13 at 9:20

Aswin Murugesh
6,273 4 25 52

How about this? the grade is not

changed if there is no + or - . If
there is none, then a[1] will be \0 –
Aswin Murugesh Apr 24 '13 at 9:23

1 Where is the storage for termination

symbol null? – Atiq Rahman Apr 24
'13 at 9:23

if the second character is null, it will be

\0 and m will be assigned 0 . So
what is the problem here? –
Aswin Murugesh Apr 24 '13 at 9:27

It works but I want to know what's the

char a[3]? I thought it supposed to be
char a[1] since A+,A- only contains
two char. – Rauryn Apr 24 '13 at
9:32

1 That's the storage for null termination.

You need to allocate an extra byte for
that. – Atiq Rahman Apr 24 '13 at 9:35

I'd deal with each character in turn.

You know that the first one should be
a letter grade, so you look at that one
first, and you could just use a switch
statement like you've already got for
that.

uint value = 0;
char grade_letter = grade[0];

switch (grade_letter) {
// assign value as appropriate
}
to learn, share knowledge, and build your career.
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acknowledge that Then, if the
you have second
read character
and understand exists,
our , , and our . Your use of
check if it's a + or a - and modify the
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8/31/2018 if statement - Grading system in C++ - Stack Overflow

value you got from the switch

statement accordingly.

if (grade.length() > 1) {
char modifier = grade[1];
switch (modifier) {
case '+': value += 0.3;
// etc.
}
}

Before all that of course, you'll want

to check for the special case of A+
and skip everything else.

An alternative approach would be to

replace the switch statements with
lookups in a previously-prepared data
structure, something like a
std::map<char, int> , which, even if
the initialisation code prepared it from
hardcoded data, would open the way
to loading the grade information from
a configuration file or database at
some point in the future. Special-
casing A+ in that case becomes
slightly trickier though.

answered Apr 24 '13 at 9:35

Matthew Walton
8,001 1 20 35

As OP mentioned other characters

than F can also be followed by + or -.
So special case is not A but F? –
Atiq Rahman Apr 24 '13 at 9:38

But there's an error at the char

grade_letter = grade[0]; this line –
Rauryn Apr 24 '13 at 9:42

Declare grade as string before that.. –

Atiq Rahman Apr 24 '13 at 11:59

@Rauryn it's not a complete solution,

just intended to be an idea of what
might be a good way to do it, and
assumes some things from your
original code. – Matthew Walton Apr
25 '13 at 7:51

Simply adding more cases would

help. Modifying your code to
as learn,
below:share knowledge, and build your career.
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acknowledge that you have read and understand our
int main ()
, , and our . Your use of
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String grade;
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16188085/grading-system-in-c 4/6
8/31/2018 if statement - Grading system in C++ - Stack Overflow
float value;
cout << "Enter letter grade : " ;
cin >> grade;

switch(grade)
{
case "A" : value = 4;
break;
case "A+" : value = 4.3;
break;
case "A-" : value = 3.7;
break;
case "B" : value = 3;
break;
case "B+" : value = 3.3;
break;
case "B-" : value = 2.7;
break;
case "C" : value = 2;
break;
case "C+" : value = 2.3;
break;
case "C-" : value = 1.7;
break;
case "D" : value = 1;
break;
case "D+" : value = 1.3;
break;
case "D-" : value = 0.7;
break;
case "F" : value = 0;
break;
default : cout << "Wrong input " <
break;
}

cout << value;

system("PAUSE");
return 0;

This is a straightforward extension of

what you did, there can be million
other ways.

edited Apr 24 '13 at 10:24

answered Apr 24 '13 at 9:31

Alan Francis
721 4 15

Okay okay I've thought of this too but

it's too long. Thanks tho – Rauryn
Apr 24 '13 at 9:34

The statement containing case 'F'

should be in double quotes. Please
correct. – Atiq Rahman Apr 24 '13 at
9:34 to learn, share knowledge, and build your career.
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acknowledge that you Ithave read
works and
fine, butunderstand our not at
it's clunky and , , and our . Your use of
all extensible. And, I suspect, you get
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more marks for writing something that
expresses in code the idea of + and
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16188085/grading-system-in-c 5/6
8/31/2018 if statement - Grading system in C++ - Stack Overflow
expresses in code the idea of + and -
being modifiers, rather than "B+"
having an absolute value in a lookup
table. – Matthew Walton Apr 24 '13 at
9:36

Is it possible to use a string in a switch

statement? – Luke B. Apr 24 '13 at
13:28

No. C++ string cannot be used in

switch statement as it is not defined
as type but class. – Atiq Rahman Apr
25 '13 at 8:09

to learn, share knowledge, and build your career.

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