C++ Continue

In C++, the continue statement is used within loops to skip the remaining code within the current iteration and move to the next iteration. It is often used in conjunction with conditional statements or loop control structures to bypass certain parts of the loop's body based on specific conditions. The continue statement allows you to control the flow of execution within a loop and skip over unnecessary operations. Here's how the continue statement works:

Skipping Loop Iteration

When the continue statement is encountered within a loop, the remaining code within the current iteration is skipped, and control moves to the next iteration of the loop.

for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
    if (i == 2) {
        continue;  // Skip iteration when i is 2
    }
    cout << i << endl;
}

In this example, the loop will iterate from 0 to 4, but when i becomes 2, the continue statement is encountered. As a result, the code below the continue statement (the cout statement) is skipped for that iteration, and the loop continues with the next iteration. The output will be 0 1 3 4.

Skipping Switch Cases

In some cases, the continue statement can also be used within a switch statement to bypass certain cases and proceed to the next case. However, it's important to note that the continue statement is not commonly used in this context, as it is more commonly associated with loop control.

int choice = 2;

switch (choice) {
    case 1:
        cout << "You selected option 1." << endl;
        break;
    case 2:
        continue;  // Skip the remaining switch block
        cout << "This code will not be executed." << endl;
    case 3:
        cout << "You selected option 3." << endl;
        break;
    default:
        cout << "Invalid option." << endl;
        break;
}

In this example, when choice is 2, the continue statement is encountered within the case 2 block. As a result, the remaining code within the switch block is skipped, including the cout statement. The program moves to the next statement after the switch block.

The continue statement is useful when you want to skip certain iterations or cases within a loop or switch statement. It allows you to control the flow of execution and selectively bypass code based on specific conditions. However, it's important to use the continue statement judiciously to ensure that your code logic remains clear and maintainable.