Help with Operator Logic

[Josheeyy]

<?
$dog = 5;
$cat = 4;
$mouse = 1;

$dog = 3;
$mouse += $cat-- 2;
echo "Dog: ".$dog." Cat: ".$cat." Mouse: ".$mouse."<BR>";
?>

The problem I am having is understanding the order things get done within the statement:

$mouse += $cat-- * 2;

the operator "--" comes first
the operator "*" comes next
the Operatot "+" comes last

But when going through the statement over on paper it is different when I run the code.

the answer that I get when I run the code:

Dog:15 Cat:4 Mouse: 9

Hope someone can help

[laserlight]

conventionally $i-- and --$i are different.
$i-- is the post-decrement operator, hence it has lower precedence than multiplication.

I'm not sure if PHP does indeed differentiate between the 2, but for the most part, dont shoot yourself in the foot with complex mathematical equations.
Use

$cat--;
$mouse += $cat + $cat;