CSE310: Programming in Java
Topic: Branching Statements
Outlines [Expected Time: 1 Hours]
• break Statement
• continue Statement
• return Statement
break Statement
break statement has three uses:
terminates a statement sequence in a switch statement
used to exit a loop
used as a “civilized” form of goto.
The break statement has two forms:
labeled
unlabeled.
Unlabeled break
An unlabeled break is used to terminate a for, while, or do-while
loop and switch statement.
Example 1:
public void breakTest()
{
for(int i=0; i<100; i++)
{
if(i == 10) break;
System.out.println("i: " + i);
}
System.out.println("Loop completed");
}
Example
public void switchTest() {
for(int i=0; i<5; i++)
switch(i) {
case 0:
System.out.println("i is zero."); break;
case 1:
System.out.println("i is one."); break;
case 2:
System.out.println("i is two."); break;
default:
System.out.println("i is greater than 2.");
}
}
Labeled break Statement
Java defines an expanded form of the break statement.
break label;
By using this form of break, we can break out of one or
more blocks of code.
When this form of break executes, control is transferred
out of the named block.
Example
class BreakDemo{
public static void main(String [] rk)
{
outer:
for(int i=0; i<3; i++){
System.out.println("Outer "+ i);
inner:
for(int j=0; j<3; j++)
{
System.out.println("Inner "+j);
if(i== j+1)
break outer;
System.out.println("Bye");
}
}
}
}
NOTE
The break statement terminates the labeled statement;
it does not transfer the flow of control to the label.
Control flow is transferred to the statement immediately
following the labeled (terminated) statement.
continue Statement
The continue statement skips the current iteration of a for,
while , or do-while loop.
The unlabeled form skips to the end of the innermost
loop's body and evaluates the boolean expression that
controls the loop.
Example
class ContinueDemo {
public static void main(String[] rk) {
String str = “she saw a ship in the sea”;
int size = str.length();
int count = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++)
{
if (str.charAt(i) != ‘s’)
continue;
count++;
}
System.out.println(“Number of s in “+ str + “ = ”+ count); } }
Labeled continue Statement
A labeled continue statement skips the current iteration
of an outer loop marked with the given label.
Example
class ContinueLabel {
public static void main(String [] rk) {
outer: for (int i=0; i<3; i++) {
for(int j=0; j<3; j++) {
if(j > i) {
System.out.println(“Hi”);
continue outer; }
System.out.print(" " + (i * j));
}
}
System.out.println(“Done”); } }
return Statement
The return statement exits from the current method, and
control flow returns to where the method was invoked.
The return statement has two forms: one that returns a
value, and one that doesn't.
To return a value, simply put the value (or an expression
that calculates the value) after the return keyword.
return ++count;
return Statement
The data type of the returned value must match the type of
the method's declared return value.
When a method is declared void, use the form of return
that doesn't return a value.
return;
Brainstorming 1
public static void main(String [] rk){
outer:
for(int i=0; i<3; i++)
{
inner:
for(int j=0; j<3; j++)
{
System.out.println(i + ", "+ j);
if(j==2) break inner;
if(i==j) continue outer;
System.out.println("Bye");
}
}
}
Brainstorming 2
public static void main(String[] args) {
aa:
for(int i=1;i<=3;i++){
bb:
for(int j=1;j<=3;j++){
if(i==2&&j==2){
//using continue statement with label
continue aa;
}
System.out.println(i+" "+j);
}
}
}
}
Brainstorming 3
public class ContinueExample2 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
//outer loop
for(int i=1;i<=3;i++){
//inner loop
for(int j=1;j<=3;j++){
if(i==2&&j==2){
//using continue statement inside inner loop
continue;
}
System.out.println(i+" "+j);
}
} }
}
Brainstorming 4
class BreakTest{
public static void main(String [] rk)
{
hello:
for(int a=1; a<3; a++)
System.out.print("Hello");
int i = 1;
if(i==1)
break hello;
System.out.print("Not reachable");
}
}
Brainstorming 5
public static void main(String [] rk)
{ int n=5;
outer: for(int a=1; a<5; a++)
{ int i=0, j=0; System.out.println();
space: while(true) {
System.out.print(" "); i++;
if(i==n-a) break space; }
star: while(true) {
System.out.print(" * "); j++;
if(j==a) continue outer;
}
}
}
