int main() { int i = 0; while (i < 1000000000) { cout < < "Hello, World!"; i++; } }
It's a beautiful day to be an integer. But have you ever stopped to think about what happens when an integer overflows? Like, what even is an integer overflow, anyway?
What's an integer overflow, you ask?
An integer overflow is when the value of an integer variable exceeds its maximum limit, causing it to wrap around and become a smaller number than it should be. For example, if you have an integer variable that can hold values up to 2^31-1, but you try to store 2^31, it will wrap around and become -2^31.
Sounds like a real party, right? But don't worry, it's not all bad. In fact, it's quite the opposite. In some situations, integer overflow can actually be... well, kind of helpful? Like, if you're trying to write a really slow program that takes forever to run, integer overflow can be just the thing to give it a speed boost. Or, if you're trying to write a program that's so buggy it's not even worth fixing, integer overflow can be just the thing to make it crash and burn with style.
But wait, there's more! Integer overflow can also be a great way to... Integer Underflow: The Dark Side of the Integer?