Continue statement - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the continue statement do in a loop?

It skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next iteration immediately.

beginner

In which types of loops can you use the continue statement in C?

You can use continue in for, while, and do-while loops.

intermediate

What happens if continue is used inside a nested loop?

It only affects the innermost loop where it is used, skipping to the next iteration of that loop.

beginner

Consider this code snippet:

for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) { if(i == 2) continue; printf("%d ", i); }

What will be the output?

The output will be: 0 1 3 4
The number 2 is skipped because continue skips printing when i == 2.

intermediate

Why might you use continue instead of if-else inside a loop?

Using continue can make code cleaner by avoiding nested if-else blocks and clearly skipping unwanted cases.

What does the continue statement do inside a loop?

A Skips the rest of the current iteration and starts the next iteration

B Exits the loop completely

C Pauses the loop until user input

D Restarts the entire program

The continue statement skips the remaining code in the current loop iteration and moves to the next iteration.

In which loop(s) can you use continue in C?

A Only <code>for</code> loops

B Only <code>while</code> loops

C Only <code>do-while</code> loops

D <code>for</code>, <code>while</code>, and <code>do-while</code> loops

continue works in all three loop types: for, while, and do-while.

What happens if continue is used inside nested loops?

A It exits all loops immediately

B It skips the rest of all loops

C It skips the rest of the innermost loop only

D It causes a compile error

continue affects only the innermost loop where it is used, skipping to the next iteration of that loop.

What will this code print?

for(int i=0; i<3; i++) { if(i==1) continue; printf("%d", i); }

A 012

B 02

C 123

D 13

When i==1, continue skips printing. So only 0 and 2 are printed.

Why might continue improve code readability?

A It avoids nested <code>if-else</code> blocks by skipping unwanted cases

B It automatically documents the code

C It replaces all <code>break</code> statements

D It makes loops run faster

continue helps avoid deep nesting by skipping certain cases early, making code easier to read.

Explain how the continue statement works inside a loop and give a simple example.

Think about what happens when you want to skip some steps but keep looping.

Describe a situation where using continue makes your loop code cleaner compared to using if-else.

Imagine you want to ignore some values and only process others inside a loop.

Practice

1. What does the continue statement do inside a loop in C?

easy

A. Skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next iteration

B. Stops the entire loop immediately

C. Exits the current function

D. Restarts the program from the beginning

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of continue

   The continue statement does not stop the loop but skips the remaining code in the current iteration.

2. Step 2: Effect on loop execution

   After continue, the loop immediately proceeds to the next iteration, ignoring any code below it in the current cycle.

3. Final Answer:

   Skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next iteration -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips current iteration [OK]

Hint: Remember: continue skips current loop step, not whole loop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing continue with break
• Thinking continue exits the function
• Assuming continue restarts the program

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to use continue inside a for loop in C?

easy

A. continue;

B. continue()

C. continue{}

D. continue[]

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall correct statement syntax

   In C, continue is a statement and must end with a semicolon.

2. Step 2: Identify valid syntax

   Only continue; is valid; parentheses, braces, or brackets are incorrect.

3. Final Answer:

   continue; -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Statement ends with semicolon [OK]

Hint: Statements end with semicolon; continue is no exception [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding parentheses after continue
• Using braces or brackets with continue
• Omitting the semicolon

3. What is the output of the following C code?

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
    if (i == 3) continue;
    printf("%d ", i);
}

medium

A. 1 2 3 4 5

B. 1 2 4 5

C. 1 2 3 4

D. 2 3 4 5

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze loop iterations

   The loop runs i from 1 to 5. When i equals 3, the continue statement skips printing.

2. Step 2: Determine printed values

   Values 1, 2, 4, and 5 are printed with spaces. The number 3 is skipped.

3. Final Answer:

   1 2 4 5 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips printing 3 [OK]

Hint: Skip printing when continue triggers, others print normally [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including the skipped number in output
• Confusing continue with break
• Ignoring the loop condition

4. Identify the error in this code snippet using continue:

int i = 0;
while (i < 5) {
    if (i == 2)
        continue;
    printf("%d ", i);
    i++;
}

medium

A. Syntax error: continue cannot be used in while loops

B. The printf statement is unreachable

C. The loop will run infinitely because 'i' is not incremented when i == 2

D. The variable 'i' is not declared properly

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand loop flow with continue

   When i equals 2, continue skips the rest of the loop body, so i++ is not executed.

2. Step 2: Consequence of skipping i++

   Since i is not incremented at i == 2, the loop condition remains true forever, causing an infinite loop.

3. Final Answer:

   The loop will run infinitely because 'i' is not incremented when i == 2 -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips i++ causing infinite loop [OK]

Hint: Always increment loop variable before continue to avoid infinite loops [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking continue causes syntax error
• Assuming printf is unreachable
• Ignoring loop variable increment

5. How can you modify this code to print only odd numbers from 1 to 10 using continue?

for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
    printf("%d ", i);
}

hard

A. Add if (i == 2) continue; before printf

B. Add if (i % 2 != 0) continue; before printf

C. Replace printf with if (i % 2 != 0) printf("%d ", i);

D. Add if (i % 2 == 0) continue; before printf

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify condition to skip even numbers

   Even numbers satisfy i % 2 == 0. Using continue here skips printing even numbers.

2. Step 2: Place continue before printf

   Adding if (i % 2 == 0) continue; before printf skips printing even numbers, so only odd numbers print.

3. Final Answer:

   Add if (i % 2 == 0) continue; before printf -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips even numbers, prints odd [OK]

Hint: Skip even numbers with continue to print only odds [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping odd numbers instead of even
• Using continue after printf
• Incorrect condition for even numbers