Reverse "Guess the Number" program

Question

I recently got to a certain exercise in a book I am reading, and am looking for feedback. It is a program in which the user picks a number and the computer uses algorithms to guess it. If there is any way that I can improve my code, feedback is really appreciated!

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <ctime>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
 srand(static_cast<unsigned int>(time(0))); //seed random number generator
 int compNumber = rand() % 100 + 1;
 int yourNumber;
 cout << "Please input a number between 1 and 100" << endl;
 cin >> yourNumber;
 cout << "Ok! I'm gonna try to guess it!" << endl;
 while (compNumber != yourNumber)
 {
 if (compNumber > yourNumber)
 {
 do
 {
 --compNumber;
 } while (compNumber != yourNumber);
 }
 else if (compNumber > yourNumber)
 {
 do
 {
 ++compNumber;
 } while (compNumber != yourNumber);
 }
 }
 cout << "I guessed it! Your number is " << compNumber << endl;
 return 0;
}

• SirPython: Welcome to Code Review! Good job on your first question.
• Barry: I guess maybe I don't understand - what is the point of the loops? They're just a very indirect way of writing compNumber = yourNumber;?
• MitarashiFox: Barry, it really is just that. In my mind by giving it a complex algorithm the computer would be "guessing" the number I inputted, but it really is a glorified 'compNumber = yourNumber' statement. I am currently in the process of reworking the code!

Answer 1

Sure this generates a random number from 1 -> 100.

int compNumber = rand() % 100 + 1;

BUT not all the numbers have an even probability. Assuming RAND_MAX is 32768 (a common value). Then the number 1->68 have a slightly higher probability than the number 69->100.

To get an even distribution you need to compensate for this:

int compNumber
do
{
 compNumber = rand();
}
while (compNumber > (RAND_MAX / 100 * 100));
compNumber = compNumber % 100 + 1;

Better yet learn to use the modern random number generator that is built into C++.

// I have not tested this.
// Just copied and pasted from: http://stackoverflow.com/a/19666713/14065
// This is the modern equivalent of srand()
std::random_device rd;
std::mt19937 mt(rd());
std::uniform_real_distribution<int> dist(1, 100);
// Then usage is.
// equivalent of rand().
std::cout << dist(mt) << "\n";

This does not look correct:

 if (compNumber > yourNumber)
 {}
 else if (compNumber > yourNumber)
 {}

The conditions look the same to me.

This does not look like guessing.

 do
 {
 --compNumber;
 } while (compNumber != yourNumber);

This looks like the computer counting down until it reaches your number.

• Richard Dally: Note modern random number generator requires a C++11 compiler.
• Daerdemandt: To be more precise, point about rand() % N matters as N approaches RAND_MAX. If we compare probabilities of generating 2 numbers - one from higher part and one from lower, the latter would be around 1 + N / RAND_MAX of the former, which translates to about 0.3% difference in our particular case, but gets to around 1/3 if N is 10000.

Answer 2

Based on your (vague) description of the exercise, it seems like the user should keep the number in their head until the very end, and each time the computer guesses a number the user tells the computer if the number is higher or lower. That's the exact reverse of the usual programming exercise. In that case, what you could do is:

int compNumber = 50;
int low = 1;
int high = 100;
int yourNumber;
do
{
 yourNumber=0;
 cout << "Please input a number between 1 and 100" << endl;
 cin >> yourNumber;
} while(yourNumber<1||yourNumber>100); /* a check to make sure the number is actually between 1 and 100 */
while(compNumber!=yourNumber)
{
 if(yourNumber<compNumber)
 {
 cout << "I guessed " << compNumber << " (too low)" << end1;
 high = compNumber;
 compNumber=(compNumber+low-1)/2;
 }
 else
 {
 cout << "I guessed " << compNumber << " (too high)" << end1;
 low = compNumber;
 compNumber=(compNumber+high+1)/2;
 }
}
cout << "I guessed it! Your number is " << compNumber << end1;

Answer 3

If i'm correct, the answer that Blue gave is entirely correct. Although i have one minor improvement. Using his code actually makes the computer guess your number but it always starts guessing at 50. If you would like the computer to start at a different number each time you can add the line:

srand(static_cast<unsigned int>(time(0)));

and change the line after that too:

int compNumber = rand() % 100+1;

This will only change the starting number, so that the computer will start at a different number each times, either enlarging the chances of the computer guessing the number or making them smaller. this would be the entire code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <ctime>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
 srand(static_cast<unsigned int>(time(0)));
 int compNumber = rand() % 100+1;
 int low = 1;
 int high = 100;
 int yourNumber;
 do
 {
 yourNumber = 0;
 cout << "Please input a number between 1 and 100" << endl;
 cin >> yourNumber;
 } while (yourNumber < 1 || yourNumber>100); /* a check to make sure the number is actually between 1 and 100 */
 while (compNumber != yourNumber)
 {
 if (yourNumber < compNumber)
 {
 cout << "I guessed " << compNumber << " (too high)" << endl;
 high = compNumber;
 compNumber = (compNumber + low - 1) / 2;
 }
 else
 {
 cout << "I guessed " << compNumber << " (too low)" << endl;
 low = compNumber;
 compNumber = (compNumber + high + 1) / 2;
 }
 }
 cout << "I guessed it! Your number is " << compNumber << endl;
 return 0;
}

You could even show after the guesses how many tries it took the computer to guess the number. Just add the variable: int guesses = 0; and directly after:

compNumber = (compNumber + low - 1) / 2; 

put

 ++guesses;

and after:

cout << "I guessed it! Your number is " << compNumber << endl;

you could put:

cout << "Number of guesses it took me: " << guess << endl;

now it will show how many guesses it took the computer to guess it

• user128548: Thanks for editing my comment @rolfl, it was the first comment I made and I'm quite sure I made some mistakes. I'm new to C++ and am quite eager to learn a lot about it!