Python Break vs Continue: Understanding Loop Control Statements

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Python Break and Continue: Altering the Flow of Loops

In Python, the break and continue statements are powerful tools that allow you to control the flow of loops. Whether you need to exit a loop completely or skip a part of the loop and continue to the next iteration, these statements come to your rescue.

Python Break Statement

The break statement is used to immediately exit a loop when a certain condition is met. It allows you to terminate the loop prematurely and move on to the next section of code.

Working of Python Break Statement

Let's understand the working of the break statement with an example:

for i in range(1, 10):
    if i == 6:
        break
    print(i)

# Output: 1 2 3 4 5

In this example, the loop iterates from 1 to 9. However, when the value of i becomes 6, the break statement is encountered and the loop is terminated. As a result, the numbers 1 to 5 are printed.

Python Continue Statement

The continue statement, on the other hand, is used to skip the rest of the current iteration and move on to the next iteration of the loop. It allows you to selectively execute certain parts of the loop while skipping others.

Working of Python Continue Statement

Let's understand the working of the continue statement with an example:

for i in range(1, 6):
    if i == 3:
        continue
    print(i)

# Output: 1 2 4 5

In this example, the loop iterates from 1 to 5. When the value of i becomes 3, the continue statement is encountered and the remaining code in the loop is skipped for that iteration. As a result, the number 3 is not printed.

Python Break vs Continue: When to Use Which?

The break and continue statements serve different purposes and are used in different scenarios.

Use the break statement when you want to immediately exit a loop completely, irrespective of the remaining iterations. This is useful when you have found the desired result or when you want to stop the loop when a certain condition is met.

Use the continue statement when you want to skip a certain part of the loop and move on to the next iteration. This is useful when you want to selectively execute certain parts of the loop based on certain conditions.

Example: Break Statement with For Loop

Let's take a look at another example to solidify our understanding of the break statement:

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
for num in numbers:
    if num % 2 == 0:
        break
    print(num)

# Output: 1

In this example, we have a list of numbers. The loop iterates over each number and checks if it is divisible by 2. As soon as it encounters the first even number (2), the break statement is executed and the loop is terminated. As a result, only the odd numbers (1) are printed.

Example: Continue Statement with For Loop

Now, let's explore an example that demonstrates the usage of the continue statement:

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
for num in numbers:
    if num % 2 == 0:
        continue
    print(num)

# Output: 1 3 5 7 9

In this example, the loop iterates over each number in the list. If the number is divisible by 2, the continue statement is executed and the remaining code in the loop is skipped for that iteration. As a result, only the odd numbers are printed.

Conclusion

The break and continue statements are powerful tools in Python that allow you to alter the flow of loops. Whether you need to exit a loop completely or skip certain parts of the loop, these statements come in handy. Remember to use the break statement when you want to terminate the loop prematurely and the continue statement when you want to skip a certain part of the loop and move on to the next iteration.