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Break and Continue Statements in C++

The break and continue statements are used to alter the flow of loops. The break statement terminates the loop, while the continue statement skips the current iteration and moves to the next one.

Using the break Statement

Example: Exiting a Loop Early

#include <iostream>

int main() {
    for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
        if (i == 5) {
            break;
        }
        std::cout << "Number: " << i << std::endl;
    }
    return 0;
}

Output:

Number: 1

Number: 2

Number: 3

Number: 4

Using the continue Statement

Example: Skipping an Iteration

#include <iostream>

int main() {
    for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
        if (i == 3) {
            continue;
        }
        std::cout << "Number: " << i << std::endl;
    }
    return 0;
}

Output:

Number: 1

Number: 2

Number: 4

Number: 5

Key Takeaways

  • The break statement exits the loop immediately.
  • The continue statement skips the current iteration and continues with the next one.
  • Use these statements to control loop execution based on conditions.
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