Math Operator Shorthand Methods

JavaScript provides shorthand operators to make common mathematical operations more concise.

Assignment Shorthand

let x = 10;

x += 5;   // Same as: x = x + 5  → 15
x -= 3;   // Same as: x = x - 3  → 12
x *= 2;   // Same as: x = x * 2  → 24
x /= 4;   // Same as: x = x / 4  → 6
x %= 4;   // Same as: x = x % 4  → 2 (remainder)
x **= 3;  // Same as: x = x ** 3 → 8 (exponent)

Increment and Decrement

let count = 0;

count++;  // Same as: count = count + 1  → 1
count++;  // → 2
count--;  // Same as: count = count - 1  → 1

Prefix vs Postfix

let a = 5;

// Postfix — returns the value BEFORE incrementing
console.log(a++);  // Logs 5, then a becomes 6

// Prefix — increments FIRST, then returns the value
console.log(++a);  // a becomes 7, then logs 7

String Concatenation Shorthand

let greeting = "Hello";
greeting += ", World!";
console.log(greeting);  // "Hello, World!"

Practical Example

let score = 0;

// Player collects coins
score += 10;  // 10
score += 25;  // 35
score += 10;  // 45

// Player loses a life
score -= 15;  // 30

console.log("Final score:", score);