Can someone please help me, im trying to understand what += does in this code

Question

can someone please help me with this question im trying to understand what the += is used for.
https://teamtreehouse.com/library/strings-and-operators
snacks = "cake" + " and custard"                                                    
snacks = snacks + " and tea"                                                        
snacks += ", lovley"                                                                
snacks                                                                              
'cake and custard and tea, lovley'

Jennifer Nordell · Accepted Answer

Hi there, @Jamshaid Ali (https://teamtreehouse.com/jamshaidali5)! The += is really just a shorthand. It means, take the value that was in this variable, add something to it and reassign it back into that variable. The result is cumulative.
```py
greeting = "Hi"
greeting += " there, Jamshaid"
greeting += "!"
print(greeting)
```
This will print out "Hi there, Jamshaid!". Each time we use the += we're taking the original value and adding on a new string to the end. But you could also write this out the long way:
```py
greeting = "Hi"
greeting = greeting + " there, Jamshaid"
greeting = greeting + "!"
print(greeting)
```
This would give you the same results. Take the original value. Add something to it and assign the result back into the variable overwriting the original value with the cumulative value.
Hope this helps! :sparkles:

shriram sethi · Answer

let's say   
a = 2
a=a+3  -------The value of a will be equals to 5.
instead of writing a=a+3, we can also write a+=3. The result will be the same.

Anders Beutler · Answer

another way to see it... think of the " + " in the equation there would be considered you adding another string to the pre-existing string. Then the " = " would be considered you applying both together. So essentially, "dessert += "!" * 20" really just means "add (whatever dessert was for you) the dessert string to this new one, "!", and apply them together. equaling (my dessert)... Strawberries and Bananas and Ice Cream, yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .

Ryan Caalim · Answer

Thank you for breaking it down.  I understand it now too

Jamshaid Ali · Answer

ok thank you

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Jamshaid Ali

Jamshaid Ali

Can someone please help me, im trying to understand what += does in this code

5 Answers

Jennifer Nordell

Jennifer Nordell

shriram sethi

shriram sethi

Jamshaid Ali

Jamshaid Ali

Ryan Caalim

Ryan Caalim

Anders Beutler

Anders Beutler