How to: Calculate Numeric Values - Visual Basic (original) (raw)

You can calculate numeric values through the use of numeric expressions. A numeric expression is an expression that contains literals, constants, and variables representing numeric values, and operators that act on those values.

Calculating Numeric Values

To calculate a numeric value

Combine one or more numeric literals, constants, and variables into a numeric expression. The following example shows some valid numeric expressions.
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System.Math.PI
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4 * (67 + i)
The first three lines show a literal, a constant, and a variable. Each one forms a valid numeric expression by itself. The final line shows a combination of a variable with two literals.
Note that a numeric expression does not form a complete Visual Basic statement by itself. You must use the expression as part of a complete statement.

To store a numeric value

You can use an assignment statement to assign the value represented by a numeric expression to a variable, as the following example demonstrates.

Dim i As Integer = 2  
Dim j As Integer  
j = 4 * (67 + i)

In the preceding example, the value of the expression on the right side of the equal operator (=) is assigned to the variable j on the left side of the operator, so j evaluates to 276.
For more information, see Statements.

Multiple Operators

If the numeric expression contains more than one operator, the order in which they are evaluated is determined by the rules of operator precedence. To override the rules of operator precedence, you enclose expressions in parentheses, as in the above example; the enclosed expressions are evaluated first.

To override normal operator precedence

Use parentheses to enclose the operations you want to be performed first. The following example shows two different results with the same operands and operators.

Dim i As Integer = 2  
Dim j, k As Integer  
j = 4 * (67 + i)  
k = 4 * 67 + i