Continue statement in C++: Difference between break and continue statement

What is the Continue Statement in C++?

Syntax

//loop statements 
continue; 
//some lines of the code which is to be skipped

We will now see the continue statement with the for loop, while loop, do...while loop, and nested loop in C++. If you are weak in the concepts of loops and conditional statements, go back and refer to the tutorials on conditional statements in C++ and loops in C++ programming.

Continue Statement with for loop in C++

Example to demonstrate continue statement with for loop in C++ Compiler

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
 for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
 if (i == 5) {
 continue;
 }
 cout << i << endl;
 }
 return 0;
}

• This C++ program iterates 10 times using a for loop.
• The continue statement is encountered when i=5. So it skips the remainder of the loop's body for that iteration.
• As a result, it only prints the numbers 1-4 and 6-10, skipping 5.

Output

1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10

Continue Statement with while loop in C++

Example to demonstrate continue statement with while loop in C++

#include <iostream>
using namespace std; 
 
int main() 
{ 
 int i = 0; 
 while (i < 10) { 
 i++; 
 if (i == 5) { 
 continue; //the iteration is skipped
 } 
 else { 
 // prints the value of i 
 cout << i << " "; 
 } 
 } 
 return 0; 
}

• The above program prints the numbers from 1 to 10 using a while loop in C++
• When i becomes 5, the continue statement is encountered. Therefore the iteration at i=5 is skipped
• The iteration again starts with i=6 and prints the value from 1 to 10 skipping 5.

Output

1 
2 
3 
4
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 

Continue Statement with do...while loop in C++

Example to demonstrate continue statement with do...while loop in C++

 #include <iostream>
using namespace std; 
 
int main() 
{ 
 int i = 0; 
 do { 
 i++; 
 if (i == 3) { 
 continue; //skips the iteration
 } 
 else { 
 // prints the value of i 
 cout << i << endl; 
 } 
 
 } while (i < 10); 
 return 0; 
}

• The above program uses the do...while loop in C++ to print the numbers from 1 to 10.
• When i=3, the iteration is skipped and the control goes to the update expression i++.
• The value of i increments and the output gets printed from 1 to 10 except 3.

Output

1
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Continue Statement with a nested loop in C++

Example to demonstrate continue statement with a nested loop in C++ Online Editor

#include <iostream>
using namespace std; 
 
int main() 
{ 
 
 for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++) { 
 for (int j = 0; j <= 5; j++) { 
 if (j == 3) { 
 continue; 
 } 
 cout << j << " "; 
 } 
 cout << endl; 
 } 
 
 return 0; 
}

• The above C++ program uses a nested loop to print numbers from 1 to 5 in three rows.
• The outer loop i runs for three times.
• In each ith iteration, the inner loop j prints numbers from 1 to 5.
• In the inner loop when j=3, the iteration is skipped and 3 does not get printed due to the continue statement.
• We get three rows of numbers from 1 to 5 except 3 in each row.

Output

1 2 4 5 
1 2 4 5 
1 2 4 5 

Comparison of Break and Continue Statements in C++

Summary