Break and Continue Statements in C

Introduction:

The break and continue statements in C provide control over loop execution. This comprehensive guide aims to provide a thorough understanding of these statements, covering basics, syntax, use cases, and practical applications.

See Also – Pointers in C Programming

1. Foundations of Break and Continue Statements in C:

Break Statement Definition and Purpose:

// Break Statement Definition and Purpose
int i;
for (i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
    if (i == 5) {
        break;  // Terminate the loop when i is 5
    }
    printf("%d ", i);
}

Continue Statement Definition and Purpose:

// Continue Statement Definition and Purpose
int i;
for (i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
    if (i == 5) {
        continue;  // Skip the rest of the loop body when i is 5
    }
    printf("%d ", i);
}

Syntax and Usage:

The break statement is used to exit the loop or switch statement.
The continue statement is used to skip the rest of the loop body and proceed with the next iteration.

// Syntax and Usage
while (condition) {
    // Code before break or continue
    if (someCondition) {
        break;  // or continue;
    }
    // Code after break or continue
}

2. Break and Continue in Loops:

Using Break in Loops:

// Using Break in Loops
int i;
for (i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
    if (i == 5) {
        break;  // Terminate the loop when i is 5
    }
    printf("%d ", i);
}

Harnessing Continue in Loops:

// Harnessing Continue in Loops
int i;
for (i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
    if (i == 5) {
        continue;  // Skip the rest of the loop body when i is 5
    }
    printf("%d ", i);
}

Practical Examples:

// Practical Example: Finding Prime Numbers
int num, i, isPrime;

for (num = 2; num <= 50; num++) {
    isPrime = 1;  // Assume num is prime

    for (i = 2; i <= num / 2; i++) {
        if (num % i == 0) {
            isPrime = 0;  // Set isPrime to 0 if num is divisible
            break;  // No need to check further
        }
    }

    if (isPrime == 1) {
        printf("%d is prime\n", num);
    }
}

3. Break and Continue in Switch-Case:

Break in Switch-Case:

// Break in Switch-Case
int dayOfWeek = 3;

switch (dayOfWeek) {
    case 1:
        printf("Monday\n");
        break;
    case 2:
        printf("Tuesday\n");
        break;
    case 3:
        printf("Wednesday\n");
        break;  // Exiting the switch statement
    // ... additional cases
    default:
        printf("Invalid day\n");
}

Continue in Switch-Case:

// Continue in Switch-Case
int dayOfWeek = 3;

switch (dayOfWeek) {
    case 1:
        printf("Monday\n");
        break;
    case 2:
        printf("Tuesday\n");
        break;
    case 3:
        continue;  // Illegal use of continue in switch-case
    // ... additional cases
    default:
        printf("Invalid day\n");
}

4. Advanced Break and Continue Techniques:

Labeling Loops for Control:

// Labeling Loops for Control
int i, j;

for (i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
    for (j = 1; j <= 5; j++) {
        if (i == 3 && j == 3) {
            goto endLoop;  // Jump to the end of the outer loop
        }
        printf("%d%d ", i, j);
    }
    printf("\n");
}

endLoop:
printf("Loop terminated prematurely.\n");

Breaking Out of Nested Loops:

// Breaking Out of Nested Loops
int i, j;

for (i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
    for (j = 1; j <= 5; j++) {
        if (i == 3 && j == 3) {
            goto endLoop;  // Jump to the end of the outer loop
        }
        printf("%d%d ", i, j);
    }
    printf("\n");
}

endLoop:
printf("Loop terminated prematurely.\n");

Fine-Tuning Loop Execution with Continue:

// Fine-Tuning Loop Execution with Continue
int i, j;

for (i = 1; i <= 

5; i++) {
    if (i == 3) {
        continue;  // Skip the rest of the loop body for i=3
    }
    for (j = 1; j <= 5; j++) {
        printf("%d%d ", i, j);
    }
    printf("\n");
}

5. Practical Applications of Break and Continue in C:

Loop Termination Conditions:

// Loop Termination Conditions
int sum = 0, num;

while (1) {
    printf("Enter a number (0 to exit): ");
    scanf("%d", &num);

    if (num == 0) {
        break;  // Exit the loop if the user enters 0
    }

    sum += num;
}

printf("Sum: %d\n", sum);

Menu-Driven Programs with Break:

// Menu-Driven Programs with Break
int choice;

while (1) {
    printf("Menu:\n");
    printf("1. Option 1\n");
    printf("2. Option 2\n");
    printf("3. Exit\n");
    printf("Enter your choice: ");
    scanf("%d", &choice);

    switch (choice) {
        case 1:
            // Code for Option 1
            break;
        case 2:
            // Code for Option 2
            break;
        case 3:
            // Code for Exit
            goto endProgram;  // Jump to the end of the program
        default:
            printf("Invalid choice\n");
    }
}

endProgram:
printf("Program exited.\n");

Filtering and Processing Data with Continue:

// Filtering and Processing Data with Continue
int i;

for (i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
    if (i % 2 == 0) {
        continue;  // Skip even numbers
    }
    printf("%d ", i);
}

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Mahesh Wabale is the admin & author of this blog, Technology enthusiast with interest in DevOps, CICD, Spring Boot, Microservices Architecture He has more than 7 years of experience in IT industry, programming language and development stuff. He loves to share his experience with his blog.