WIX1002
Fundamentals of Programming
Semester 1 2015/2016
Chapter 4
Flow of Control (Repetition)
Contents
Introduction
while
do-while
for
break
continue
label
Common Error
Introduction
A repetition flow specifies that an action is to be
repeated while some condition remains true.
In Java, while, do-while and for statement are used for
the repetition flow.
There are two types of loop namely count-controlled loop
and sentinel-controlled loop.
Count-controlled loop executed the statements for a
fixed number of times.
Sentinel-controlled loop executed the statements
repeatedly until the sentinel is encountered.
while
A while statement executes a block of code repeatedly.
A condition controls how often the loop is executed.
while (condition)
statement;
// use brace { more than 1 statements
while (condition) {
statement1;
statement2;
statement3;
}
while
int number=1, sum=0;
while (number<=10) {
sum+=number;
number++;
}
boolean status = true;
while(status) {
number = k.nextInt();
if (number < 0 )
status = false;
}
do-while
A do-while statement executes the body of the loop at
least once and perform condition check after the body
statements have been executed.
do
statement;
while (condition);
// use brace { more than 1 statements
do {
statement1;
statement2;
} while (condition);
do-while
int number=1, sum=0;
do {
sum+=number;
number++;
} while (number<=10);
boolean status = true;
do {
number = k.nextInt();
if (number > 0 )
status = false;
} while(status);
for
A for statement is suitable for count-controlled loops. It
is used to step through some integer variable in equal
increments or decrements
for (initialization; condition; update)
statement;
// use brace { more than 1 statements
for (initialization; condition; update) {
statement1;
statement2;
statement3;
}
for
for (int num = 1; num <= 5; num++)
System.out.println("Counter is " + num);
for (int i=10; i>0; i--) {
sum +=i;
counter++;
}
break
A break statement ends the nearest enclosing loop
statement
for (count = 1; count <= 10; count++) {
if ( count == 5 )
break; // break the loop when count is equal to 5
sum += count;
}
continue
A continue statement ends the current loop body
iteration of the nearest enclosing loop statement and
proceeds with the next iteration of the loop
for (int count = 1; count <= 10; count++ ) {
if ( count == 5 )
continue; // skip remaining statement in the loop
// when count = 5
sum+=count;
}
label
A label statement is used to label a loop statement.
The label statement can be used by the break statement
and the continue statement
stop: { // label statement
for (int row = 1; row <= 10; row++) {
for (int column = 1;column <= 5; column++) {
if ( row == 5 )
break stop; // break the stop loop statement
counter++;
}
}
Common Error
An off by one error
The loop iterates once too often or once too few times.
Check the condition and / or the initial value of the
counter.
An infinite counting loop
The counter is going the wrong way or doesn't change
at all. Make sure the counter change correctly in loop
An infinite sentinel loop
The new data are not input at the end of the loop body
