C continue Statement

Posted in C Tutorial

Updated on Oct 13, 2024

By Mari Selvan

👁️ 47 - Views

⏳ 4 mins

💬 1 Comment

Photo Credit to CodeToFun

🙋 Introduction

In C programming, the continue statement is a control statement that skips the current iteration of a loop and proceeds to the next iteration.

This guide explores the syntax and usage of the continue statement, along with practical examples.

🤔 What is the continue Statement?

The continue statement allows you to bypass the remaining code within a loop's body for the current iteration and proceed to the next iteration of the loop. It is particularly useful for skipping specific conditions or processing certain elements within a loop.

🔑 Key Features of the continue Statement

Loop Control: Skips the current iteration of a loop.
Conditional Skipping: Allows conditional skipping based on specific criteria.
Control Flow: Alters the normal sequence of loop execution.

💡 Syntax

The syntax for the continue statement is simple:

example.c

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continue;

Usage in Loops

The continue statement is typically used within for, while, and do-while loops to skip iterations based on certain conditions.

Example: Using continue in a for Loop

example.c

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#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
  for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
    if (i == 2) {
      continue; // Skip iteration when i equals 2
    }
    printf("%d\n", i);
  }
  return 0;
}

💻 Output

In this example, the loop will print all values of i except 2:

Output

Example: Using continue in a while Loop

example.c

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#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
  int i = 0;
  while (i < 5) {
    i++;
    if (i == 2 || i == 4) {
      continue; // Skip iterations when i equals 2 or 4
    }
    printf("%d\n", i);
  }
    return 0;
}

💻 Output

This example skips printing 2 and 4:

Output

1
3
5

Common Pitfalls and Best Practices

Proper Incrementing:

Ensure that loop control variables are properly incremented within loops to prevent infinite loops when using continue.

example.c

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#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
  int i = 0;
  while (i < 5) {
    if (i == 2) {
      i++; // Increment i to prevent infinite loop
      continue;
    }
    printf("%d\n", i);
    i++;
  }
    return 0;
}

Clear Logic:

Maintain clear and understandable logic when using continue statements to avoid confusion and improve code readability.

🎉 Conclusion

The continue statement is a valuable tool in C programming for controlling loop execution flow. By utilizing continue, you can efficiently skip specific iterations of loops based on conditions, streamlining your code and improving its readability.