# Decrementing in draw problem
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/decrementing-in-draw-problem/4879
**Category:** Coding Questions
**Created:** [October 25, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/decrementing-in-draw-problem/4879 "2018-10-25T17:32:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Aquakitty](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Aquakitty)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/decrementing-in-draw-problem/4879/1 "2018-10-25T17:32:08Z")
Hi, new to processing and programming with frames but not to programming so this is a bit embarrassing.
I’ve managed to make ellipses that expand and contract with no problem by using a state, but I’ve had this other issue a few times with decrementing other things. When I try to decrement, instead of reversing, the thing in question will stay at max and just try to -1 over and over. I thought this was due to not clearing and redrawing (due to framerate) but that seems to not help either.
Here is an example, where when the text hits “STRING\_MAX” i’d like it to start shrinking. Instead, it will hover at 99-100.
```auto
final int SPACE_MIN = 10;
final int SPACE_MAX = 100;
final String message = "howdy!";
int space = 0;
int wordState = 0;
void setup()
{
size(500, 500);
space = SPACE_MIN;
wordState = 0;
}
void draw()
{
background(0);
if (space < SPACE_MAX) {
space ++;
// wordState = 1;
drawMessage();
} else if (space >= SPACE_MAX) {
clearMessage();
space --;
//wordState = 0;
drawMessage();
}
println(space);
}
void drawMessage() {
for (int i = 0; i < message.length(); i++)
{
char c = message.charAt(i);
text(c, space*i, mouseY);
}
}
void clearMessage() {
background(0);
}
```
Thank you!
---
### Author:  [@Whahahahaha](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Whahahahaha)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/decrementing-in-draw-problem/4879/2 "2018-10-25T17:39:28Z")
well that’s quite obvious right? once space has reached 100, it will execute space-- once, which will make it 99. the next loop it’s smaller than SPACE\_MAX again and increases by 1 (space++).
a way to solve this would be to activate a trigger once it’s reached SPACE\_MAX and keep subtracting until it reaches SPACE\_MIN (I guess that is eventually what you want?) and when that happens, reverse the trigger or undo it to make it start increasing again
---
### Author:  [@Aquakitty](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Aquakitty)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/decrementing-in-draw-problem/4879/3 "2018-10-25T17:44:32Z")
> [@Whahahahaha](#):
>
> a way to solve this would be to activate a trigger once it’s reached SPACE\_MAX and keep subtracting until it reaches SPACE\_MIN (I guess that is eventually what you want?) and when that happens, reverse the trigger or undo it to make it start increasing again
Man, I must have had a total brain meltdown. I knew what was happening and with the way you worded the solution I got it:
```auto
final int SPACE_MIN = 10;
final int SPACE_MAX = 100;
final String message = "howdy!";
int space = 0;
int wordState = 0;
void setup()
{
size(500, 500);
space = SPACE_MIN;
wordState = 0;
}
void draw()
{
background(0);
if (space < SPACE_MAX && wordState == 0) {
space ++;
drawMessage();
if (space >= SPACE_MAX){
wordState = 1;
}
}
if (wordState == 1) {
clearMessage();
space --;
drawMessage();
if (space <= SPACE_MIN){
wordState = 0;
}
}
println(space);
}
void drawMessage() {
for (int i = 0; i < message.length(); i++)
{
char c = message.charAt(i);
text(c, space*i, mouseY);
}
}
void clearMessage() {
background(0);
}
```
---
### Author:  [@Whahahahaha](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Whahahahaha)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/decrementing-in-draw-problem/4879/4 "2018-10-25T17:51:25Z")
😛 I’m glad you got it working. there probably is a better or more elegant solution, but I guess as long as that’s not necessary I don’t see the need for it 😃