The continue and break statements are both used to alter the flow of a loop in Java. They allow you to skip certain iterations of a loop or exit the loop entirely, depending on certain conditions.
The continue statement is used to skip the rest of the current iteration of a loop and move on to the next iteration. It is often used when you want to skip certain iterations of a loop based on a specific condition. For example:
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
if (i % 2 == 0) {
continue;
}
System.out.println(i);
}
This code will print the odd numbers from 1 to 9 because the continue statement skips over the even numbers.
The break statement, on the other hand, is used to exit a loop completely. It is often used when you want to exit a loop as soon as a specific condition is met. For example:
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
if (i == 5) {
break;
}
System.out.println(i);
}
This code will print the numbers from 0 to 4, and then exit the loop when it reaches 5.
Both the continue and break statements are useful tools for controlling the flow of a loop, but it’s important to use them wisely. Overuse of these statements can make your code harder to read and understand, so it’s best to use them sparingly and only when necessary.