10.2. More Loops and Break Statements

Earlier we learned how the for loop can iterate through a string or array a specific number of times in a specific way.

Sometimes you might want an easier way to iterate over a collection without as many steps. This is where the foreach loop can come in handy.

10.2.1. foreach Loop

foreach loops provide syntax to iterate over any sequence or collection, such as an array:

int[] nums = {1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21};

foreach (int i in nums) {
   Console.WriteLine(i);
}

Here, the loop variable moves through the items in the array of integers, nums. The syntax here uses the word, in. This type of loop is known as a foreach loop.

Tip

When considering this structure, it can be helpful to read the code sample above to yourself as “For each integer i in array nums…”.

This loop version also works with a string, where we can convert the string to an array of characters:

string msg = "Hello World";

foreach (char c in msg.ToCharArray()) {
   Console.WriteLine(c);
}

As you see, to iterate through a string in this way, C# requires an extra string method, .ToCharArray(), to convert the string to an array of characters.

10.2.2. do-while Loop

C# adds an additional, if seldom used, variation of the while loop called the do-while loop. The do-while loop is very similar to while, except that the condition is evaluated at the end of the loop rather than the beginning. This ensures that a loop will be executed at least one time. In some situations, the do-while loop is preferable, because it avoids an additional assignment prior to the loop.

For example:

do {
   Console.WriteLine("Hello, World");
} while (false);

Output:

Hello, World

Above, the message prints despite the condition never being met.

10.2.3. Break Statements in Loops

There are instances where you may want to terminate a loop if a given condition is met. In these instances, the break statement comes in handy. For example, say you want to loop through an array of integers to search for a given value. Once that number is found, you want to quit the loop. You can do the following:

int[] someInts = {1, 10, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10};
int searchTerm = 10;
foreach (int oneInt in someInts) {
   if (oneInt == searchTerm) {
      Console.WriteLine("Found it!");
      break;
   }
}

In the code above, instead of the foreach loop iterating through all the integers in the array, it will stop after it finds the first matching instance. So once it finds the first 10 in the array, it prints “Found it!” and then terminates the loop. If the break statement weren’t there, the loop would continue and when it found the second 10, it would print “Found it!” a second time.

Note that the break statement terminates the innermost loop that it is contained within. So if you have nested loops and use a break statement within the innermost loop, then it will only terminate that loop and not the outer one. If a break is present in the outer loop, it — and any other block nested within it — is terminated when the break runs.

10.2.4. Continue Statements in Loops

The continue statement is similar to, but importantly different from, the break statement. Like break, it interrupts the normal flow of control of the loop. But unlike break, the continue statement only terminates the current iteration of the loop. So the loop will continue to run from the top after a continue statement. Here is an example:

int[] someInts = {1, 10, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10};
int searchTerm = 10;
foreach (int oneInt in someInts) {
   if (oneInt == searchTerm) {
      Console.WriteLine("Found it!");
      continue;
   }
   Console.WriteLine("Not here");
}

The above program will print “Not here” on every iteration of the foreach loop except where the number has been found. So the output looks like this:

Not here
Found it!
Not here
Not here
Not here
Not here
Found it!

Because of the continue statement, the final print statement in the foreach loop is skipped. If the continue statement weren’t there, the output would look like this instead (notice the extra “Not here” printouts):

Not here
Found it!
Not here
Not here
Not here
Not here
Not here
Found it!
Not here

10.2.5. Check Your Understanding

Question

char[] chars = {'p', 'l', 'r', 's', 't'};

foreach (<loop-statement>) {
   Console.WriteLine(i);
}

What does the missing <loop-statement> need to be to print each item in chars?

1. char i : chars

2. char i : chars[]

3. char i in chars

4. char i in chars[]

Question

do {
   Console.WriteLine("Hello world!");
} while (3 < 2);

How many times does the message print and why?

1. 0 — The while condition is never true.

2. 1 — The print statement is evaluated before the conditional.

3. infinite times — 3 is less than 2, and the condition is never changed in the loop.