C++ break and continue statements

In C++, break and continue are branching statements used within loops to control the flow of execution. They serve different purposes:

C++ break statements

break is used to exit the current loop prematurely when a certain condition is met. It allows you to terminate the loop immediately and continue with the code following the loop.

for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) { if (i == 5) { break; // Exit the loop when i is 5 } std::cout << i << " "; }

In this example, the loop will print numbers from 1 to 4 and then exit when i becomes 5 due to the break statement.

break with Infinite Loops

break is often used within infinite loops to provide a mechanism for manually terminating the loop when a specific condition is met. Without break, an infinite loop would execute indefinitely, consuming resources and potentially freezing the program.

By including a conditional statement with break within an infinite loop, you can control when and under what circumstances the loop should terminate, allowing your program to remain responsive and efficient.

while (true) { // Perform some tasks if (condition_met) { break; // Terminate the loop when the condition is met } }

In this example, the loop runs indefinitely (while (true)) but terminates when the specified condition (condition_met) is met, thanks to the break statement. This usage of break is crucial for creating responsive and controlled loops in situations where the number of iterations isn't known in advance.

C++ continue statements

continue is used to skip the rest of the current iteration of a loop and move to the next iteration, based on a certain condition. It allows you to effectively bypass the remaining code within the current loop iteration and proceed with the next iteration.

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { if (i == 3) { continue; // Skip the iteration when i is 3 } std::cout << i << " "; }

In this example, the loop will print numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5, skipping the iteration where i is 3 due to the continue statement.

Conclusion

break is a branching statement used to exit the current loop prematurely when a specified condition is met, allowing for the termination of the loop. continue is a branching statement that skips the rest of the current iteration within a loop and proceeds with the next iteration, based on a specific condition, facilitating the bypass of specific loop iterations. Both statements are vital for controlling the flow and behavior of loops in C++ to meet specific programming requirements.






Related Topics
  1. C++ if...else statement
  2. C++ switch...case Statement
  3. C++ For Loop
  4. C++ While Loop
  1. C++ do...while loop
  2. C++ Functions
  3. C++ Function parameters and return values
  4. C++ Function Overloading
  5. C++ Exception Handling