Decrement (--)
The decrement operator (--) decrements (subtracts one from) its operand
and returns a value.
Try it
Syntax
x--
--x
Description
If used postfix, with operator after operand (for example,
x--), the decrement operator decrements and returns the value
before decrementing.
If used prefix, with operator before operand (for example,
--x), the decrement operator decrements and returns the value
after decrementing.
Examples
Postfix decrement
let x = 3;
y = x--;
// y = 3
// x = 2
Prefix decrement
let a = 2;
b = --a;
// a = 1
// b = 1
Specifications
| Specification |
|---|
| ECMAScript Language Specification # sec-postfix-decrement-operator |
Browser compatibility
BCD tables only load in the browser