C++ cin Tutorial

Syntax

The cin statement in C++ is used to read input values from the standard input stream. The syntax for using cin is:

cin >> variableName;

where variableName is the name of the variable that will store the input value.

Example

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
   int num1, num2;
   
   cout << "Enter two integers: ";
   cin >> num1 >> num2;
   
   cout << "Your input values are: " << num1 << " and " << num2;
   
   return 0;
}

Output

The output of the above program will be:

Enter two integers: 10 20
Your input values are: 10 and 20

Explanation

In the above example, we have declared two integer variables num1 and num2. We then prompt the user to enter two integers by displaying the message "Enter two integers: " on the console. We then use the cin statement to read the input values from the user and store them in the two variables num1 and num2. Finally, we display the values of num1 and num2 to the user on the console.

Use

cin is mainly used for accepting input values from the user during runtime. It is generally used in combination with cout for taking input from the user and displaying output on the console.

Important Points

• The >> operator is used to extract data from the input stream.
• When cin is used for accepting string inputs, the strings are stopped at the first white space encountered.
• cin can be used with any data type, such as integers, character data types, and strings.

Summary

cin is an integral part of C++ programming, as it reads input values during runtime. Its syntax is straightforward, and it can be used to read input data of all data types. It is an excellent tool for user interaction and overall program functionality.