Could I get clarification on the continue statement?

Question

I want clarification on the continue statement.

#include <stdio.h>
int main (void) {
    int i;

    while (i < 10) {
        if (i == 4) {
            i++;
            continue;
        }
        printf("%d\n", i);
        i++;
    }

    return 0;
}

This code outputs 0-9, skipping the number 4. I removed the increment statement below if statement:

 while (i < 10) {
        if (i == 4) {
            continue;
        }
        printf("%d\n", i);
        i++;

I read continue will break one iteration of the loop. I assumed it will continue to the printf statement, move on and still output 0-9, skipping 4.

It is stuck in a loop and only printed 0, 1, 2 & 3.

You need to initialize your variable i = 0. It currently is unitialized. — NoDakker, Oct 15 '22 at 02:10
i will always be 4 since you're not incrementing it before the continue. Infinite loop. — Shawn, Oct 15 '22 at 02:11
@Shawn Thanks. Wouldn't the increment after the printf statement do the work? Thank you! — ddp17, Oct 15 '22 at 02:13
Please refer https://stackoverflow.com/questions/33166912/how-the-continue-statement-works-in-for-loop-in-c . - Please do not create new questions with same queries. - Research more first and then raise only if you were unable to find any viable solution. — nitin angadi, Oct 15 '22 at 02:14
"It does not process, as I assumed, whatever it is after the continue statement." I can't understand this expectation. Code runs in the order it's written, unless something explicitly changes that. So... you were expecting `continue` to... do nothing at all? — Karl Knechtel, Oct 15 '22 at 02:27

Ted Lyngmo · Answer 1 · 2022-10-15T04:03:06.223

I'll try to make it a bit clearer:

int main (void) {
    int i = 0; // you need to initialize `i` before reading from it

    while (i < 10) {
        if (i == 4) {
            i++;       // here you change the value
            continue;  // ok, go directly to the next lap in the while loop
        }
        // here i is: 0,1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9
        i++;        
    }
}

and here's your second version:

int main (void) {
    int i = 0;

    while (i < 10) {   // <---------+
                       //           |
        if (i == 4) {  // if 4, ----+
            continue;  // when `i` reaches 4, when will `i++` be reached?
        }              // hint: never

        i++;           // 0=>1, 1=>2, 2=>3, 3=>4 ... never to be reached anymore
    }
}

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 15 '22 at 02:34

2

continue would end and start the next iteration of the CLOSEST loop only. The closest here means the current loop.

Notes:

if is not a loop.
for, while are loops.

answered Oct 15 '22 at 02:34

Xin Cheng

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Could I get clarification on the continue statement?

2 Answers2