c++ ladder

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    int x, y, z, num;
    char c;

    cout<<"Insert a number: ";
    cin<<num;
    cout<<"Insert a letter (l, r): ";
    cin<<c;

    if (c == 'l')
    {
        for (x=1; x<=num; x++) //tracks the number of lines
        {
            for (y=1; y<=x; y++) //tracks number of Xs already printed
            {
                cout<<"X";
            }
            cout<<"\n"; //prints newline character in order to start printing next line in the ladder
        }
    }
    else //when c == 'r'
    {
        z = num; //z holds the number of total characters (Xs and whitespace) in a line
        for (x=1; x<=num; x++) //tracks the number of lines
        {
            while (z > x) //i.e while total number of characters in the line is greater than the number of Xs needed
            {
                cout<<" "; //prints spaces in front of the Xs in order to right-align the ladder
                z--;
            }

            for (y=1; y<=x; y++) //tracks number of Xs already printed
            {
                cout<<"X";
            }
            cout<<"\n"; //prints newline character in order to start printing next line in the ladder
        }
    }
    return 0;
}