When does this post-incrementation happen?

I have this piece of Java code in front of me:

private static int[] generateSparseArray(int value) {
    int[] array = new int[getBound(value)];
    for (int j = 1; j < value; j++) {
        do {
            array[j++] = value;
            if ((value++ > 3 || value < 4) && (j > 0)) {
                ++j;
                break; 
            }
        } while (value < 4); 
    }
    return array; 
}

private static int getBound(int value) { /** ... */ }

I am not sure if this will increment "value" after checking specifically this piece of the boolean expression or if it will increment after the entire boolean expression of the if-statement.

What do you guys think?

The post-increment is done immediately after evaluation of value, not after the evaluation of the whole if condition.

Look at (value++ > 3 || value < 4) and with value being 3:

• value is evaluated and is 3, so the first part of the condition is false
• immediately afterwards value is incremented to 4
• Since the first part of the OR expression was false, the second part is evaluated and not short-circuited.
• Now value is already 4 and the second part of the condition is also false

You can verify this by looking at a stripped down version.

public static void main(String[] args) {
    int a = 3;
    if((a++ > 3 || a < 4) && verify(a)) {

    }
}

static boolean verify(int a) {
    System.out.println(a);
    return true;
}

The method verify is never called and nothing is printed, because (a++ > 3 || a < 4) is false and short-circuiting takes place.

It's not really anything to do with being in an if statement; it is simply expression evaluation.

The operation is spelled out explicitly in the Java Lanaguage Specification.

> The left-hand operand of a binary operator appears to be fully evaluated
> before any part of the right-hand operand is evaluated.