Beginner 10 min read

Assignment Operators

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:

  • Use = to assign a value to a variable
  • Use compound assignment operators like += to update a variable based on its own value
  • Explain why compound operators are considered better style than the long form

Prerequisites: "Arithmetic Operators"

Plain assignment

Integer caseCount = 0;
caseCount = caseCount + 1; // works, but there is a shorter way
  1. Integer caseCount = 0; — starts the counter at 0.
  2. caseCount = caseCount + 1; — reads caseCount's current value, adds 1, and assigns the result back into caseCount — the variable on both sides of = is the same one.

Compound assignment operators

Integer caseCount = 0;
caseCount += 1;   // same as caseCount = caseCount + 1;
caseCount -= 1;   // same as caseCount = caseCount - 1;
caseCount *= 2;   // same as caseCount = caseCount * 2;
caseCount /= 2;   // same as caseCount = caseCount / 2;
  1. Integer caseCount = 0; — starts at 0.
  2. caseCount += 1; — += adds 1 to caseCount and stores the result back, in one step.
  3. caseCount -= 1; — same idea, subtracting.
  4. caseCount *= 2; — same idea, multiplying.
  5. caseCount /= 2; — same idea, dividing.

Each combines an arithmetic operator with = into one step. += is by far the most common in real Apex code — you'll see it constantly once loops arrive in Module "Repeating Work: Loops."

A real business example: Case Management

Integer openCaseCount = 0;
openCaseCount += 1; // a new case just came in
  1. Integer openCaseCount = 0; — no open cases yet.
  2. openCaseCount += 1; — one new case arrives, so the running total increases by 1.

Running totals like this — counting cases, accumulating amounts — are one of the most common patterns you'll write, and += is the idiomatic way to express "add this to what's already there."

Best practices

  • Prefer += over the long form x = x + 1 whenever you're updating a variable based on its own current value — it's shorter, and once familiar, faster to read at a glance.

Exercise

Declare an Integer runningTotal starting at 100. Use compound assignment to add 50, then subtract 30, then double it. Debug the value after each step.

Show hint

runningTotal += 50; then runningTotal -= 30; then runningTotal *= 2;

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Execution Results

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Assignment Operators Quiz

1. What does x += 5 do?

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Leaderboard

  • 1. Monde Masiza 1/1

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Summary

The = operator assigns a value to a variable. Compound assignment operators like += combine an arithmetic operation with assignment in one step — shorter to write and, once you're used to them, easier to read.

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