Topic 3518 min readStructured Tutorial

C# Loop Control Statements

Quick Answer

Loop control statements in C#—break, continue, and goto—allow you to alter the flow of loops by exiting early, skipping iterations, or jumping to labeled statements. These statements help write clearer and more efficient loops when used appropriately.

Learning Objectives

Explain the purpose of Loop Control Statements in a practical learning context.
Identify the main ideas, terms, and decisions involved in Loop Control Statements.
Apply Loop Control Statements in a simple real-world scenario or practice task.

Introduction

Loops are fundamental in programming to repeat actions. However, sometimes you need to control how these loops behave beyond their natural flow.

C# provides loop control statements that let you exit loops early, skip certain iterations, or jump to specific parts of your code.

Control your loops, don’t let your loops control you.

Break Statement

The break statement immediately exits the nearest enclosing loop or switch statement.

It is useful when you want to stop looping once a condition is met.

Terminates the current loop instantly.
Control moves to the statement following the loop.
Can be used in for, while, do-while loops, and switch statements.

Example of break in a for loop

In this example, the loop stops when the counter reaches 5.

Continue Statement

The continue statement skips the current iteration of the loop and proceeds with the next iteration.

It is helpful when you want to ignore certain conditions but continue looping.

Skips the remaining code inside the loop for the current iteration.
Control moves to the next iteration of the loop.
Works with for, while, and do-while loops.

Example of continue in a while loop

This example skips printing even numbers by continuing to the next iteration.

Goto Statement

The goto statement transfers control to a labeled statement within the same method.

While powerful, it should be used sparingly as it can make code harder to read and maintain.

Jumps to a specified label in the code.
Can be used to exit nested loops or switch statements.
Overuse can lead to spaghetti code.

Example of goto to exit nested loops

This example uses goto to break out of two nested loops immediately.

Practical Example

This loop prints numbers from 0 to 4 and stops when i equals 5 due to the break statement.

This loop prints only odd numbers by skipping even numbers using continue.

This example uses goto to exit both loops immediately when i and j equal 1.

Examples

Break Statement Example

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    if (i == 5) {
        break;
    }
    Console.WriteLine(i);
}

This loop prints numbers from 0 to 4 and stops when i equals 5 due to the break statement.

Continue Statement Example

int i = 0;
while (i < 10) {
    i++;
    if (i % 2 == 0) {
        continue;
    }
    Console.WriteLine(i);
}

This loop prints only odd numbers by skipping even numbers using continue.

Goto Statement Example

for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
    for (int j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
        if (i == 1 && j == 1) {
            goto EndLoops;
        }
        Console.WriteLine($"i={i}, j={j}");
    }
}
EndLoops:
Console.WriteLine("Exited nested loops.");

This example uses goto to exit both loops immediately when i and j equal 1.

Best Practices

Use break to exit loops early when a condition is met to improve efficiency.
Use continue to skip unnecessary iterations cleanly.
Avoid overusing goto; prefer structured control flow for readability.
Comment your use of loop control statements to clarify intent.
Test loops thoroughly to ensure control statements behave as expected.

Common Mistakes

Using break or continue without clear conditions, causing unexpected behavior.
Overusing goto leading to confusing and hard-to-maintain code.
Placing code after continue that never executes in the current iteration.
Forgetting that break exits only the nearest loop, not all nested loops.

Hands-on Exercise

Using break in a loop

Write a for loop that prints numbers from 1 to 10 but stops printing when it reaches 7 using break.

Expected output: Numbers 1 through 6 printed on separate lines.

Hint: Use an if condition inside the loop to check the number and break.

Using continue to skip iterations

Create a while loop that prints numbers from 1 to 10 but skips multiples of 3 using continue.

Expected output: Numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 printed on separate lines.

Hint: Check if the number is divisible by 3 and use continue to skip printing.

Using goto to exit nested loops

Write nested for loops from 0 to 3 and use goto to exit both loops when the inner loop variable equals 2.

Expected output: Prints pairs until inner loop variable is 2, then exits.

Hint: Label the statement after loops and use goto inside the inner loop.

Interview Questions

What is the difference between break and continue in C# loops?

Interview

Break exits the entire loop immediately, while continue skips the current iteration and proceeds with the next one.

When should you use the goto statement in C#?

Interview

Goto should be used sparingly, typically to exit multiple nested loops or switch statements when other control structures are less clear.

What is Loop Control Statements, and why is it useful?

Beginner

Loop control statements in C#—break, continue, and goto—allow you to alter the flow of loops by exiting early, skipping iterations, or jumping to labeled statements.