Java - Loop Control
When Loops are Required?
There may be a situation when you need to execute a block of code several number of times. In general, statements are executed sequentially: The first statement in a function is executed first, followed by the second, and so on.
Programming languages provide various control structures that allow for more complicated execution paths.
Loop Statement
A loop statement allows us to execute a statement or group of statements multiple times and following is the general form of a loop statement in most of the programming languages −
Java Loops
Java programming language provides the following types of loops to handle the looping requirements:
| Sr.No. | Loop & Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | while loop: Repeats a statement or group of statements while a given condition is true. It tests the condition before executing the loop body. |
| 2 | for loop: Execute a sequence of statements multiple times and abbreviates the code that manages the loop variable. |
| 3 | do…while loop: Like a while statement, except that it tests the condition at the end of the loop body. |
| 4 | Enhanced for loop: As of Java 5, the enhanced for loop was introduced. This is mainly used to traverse collection of elements including arrays. |
Loop Control Statements
Loop control statements change execution from its normal sequence. When execution leaves a scope, all automatic objects that were created in that scope are destroyed.
In Java, the following are the loops control statements:
| Sr.No. | Control Statement & Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | break statementTerminates the loop or switch statement and transfers execution to the statement immediately following the loop or switch. |
| 2 | continue statementCauses the loop to skip the remainder of its body and immediately retest its condition prior to reiterating. |