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x++

increases the value of x by 1, returning the old value of x.

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Basic Examples  
Scope  
Applications  
Properties & Relations  
Possible Issues  
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Increment

x++

increases the value of x by 1, returning the old value of x.

Details

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Increment the value by one, and return the old value:

Wolfram Language code: k = 1;k++
Wolfram Language code: k

Scope  (4)

Increment a numerical value:

Wolfram Language code: x = 1.5; x++;x

Increment a symbolic value:

Wolfram Language code: v = a;v++;v

Increment all values in a list:

Wolfram Language code: x = {1, 2, 3}
Wolfram Language code: x++;x

The argument to Increment need not be a symbol:

Wolfram Language code: list = {1, 2, 3}
Wolfram Language code: list[[2]]++
Wolfram Language code: list

Applications  (1)

Find the first integer with a certain property:

Wolfram Language code: i = 1; While[Prime[i] < 10 ^ 6, i++]; i

Properties & Relations  (4)

Increment and PreIncrement differ only in the return value of the operation:

Wolfram Language code: {a, b} = {1, 1};
Wolfram Language code: {a++, ++b}
Wolfram Language code: {a, b}

Increment is a short form of this assignment:

Wolfram Language code: k = 1; k = k + 1

Increment is a special case of AddTo:

Wolfram Language code: k = 1; k += 1

Decrement and PreDecrement are closely related operations:

Wolfram Language code: {a, b, c, d} = {1, 1, 1, 1};
Wolfram Language code: {a++, ++b, c--, --d}
Wolfram Language code: {a, b, c, d}

Possible Issues  (1)

A variable to be incremented must have an initial value:

Wolfram Language code: x++
Wolfram Research (1988), Increment, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Increment.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), Increment, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Increment.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "Increment." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Increment.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). Increment. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Increment.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_increment, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Increment}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Increment.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_increment, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Increment}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Increment.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}