Explain difference b/w the two codes

[Knightrider29]

How does the compiler interpret the position of the initialization

int f(1);

in both the cases.

  //Finding the factorial

#include <iostream>
#include <cmath>
using namespace std;

long fact(int n)
{if (n<0)
return 0;

int f(1);
while (n>1)
     f *= n--;
     return f;
     }
     
     int main()
     { int x;
         cin >> x;
         cout << fact(x);
         system ("pause");
         return 0;
         }

//Finding the factorial

#include <iostream>
#include <cmath>
using namespace std;

long fact(int n)
{if (n<0)
return 0;

while (n>1)
     int f(1);
     f *= n--;
     return f;
     }
     
     int main()
     { int x;
         cin >> x;
         cout << fact(x);
         system ("pause");
         return 0;
         }
  

[poteto]

In the second example the while statement has no braces, it would just loop initializing f, and there would be an error because f is out of scope.

[Knightrider29]

If you mean to say to put the code like this, The code isn't giving me the factorial. :/

//Finding the factorial

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

long fact(int n)
{if (n<0)
return 0;

while (n>0)
    {int f(1);
     f *= n--;
     return f;}
     }
     
     int main()
     { int x;
         cin >> x;
         cout << fact(x);
         system ("pause");
         return 0;
         }

[Knightrider29]

Any initialization expression should be before while loop.