Break statement in Go - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Break statement

Start Loop

↓

Check Condition

Yes↓

Execute Loop Body

↓

Check Break Condition

↓

Break Loop

↓

End Loop

The loop starts and runs while the condition is true. Inside, if the break condition is met, the loop stops immediately.

Execution Sample

Go

package main
import "fmt"
func main() {
  for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
    if i == 3 {
      break
    }
    fmt.Println(i)
  }
}

This code prints numbers 1 and 2, then stops the loop when i equals 3 using break.

Execution Table

Iteration	i	Condition i <= 5	Break Condition i == 3	Action	Output
1	1	true	false	Print 1	1
2	2	true	false	Print 2	2
3	3	true	true	Break loop
4	-	Loop exited	-	-	-

💡 Loop stops at iteration 3 because break condition i == 3 is true.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3 (break)	Final
i	-	1	2	3	3

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the loop stop printing after i equals 3 even though the loop condition i <= 5 is true?

Because the break statement runs when i == 3 (see execution_table row 3), it immediately exits the loop before printing.

Does the break statement skip only the current iteration or the entire loop?

The break statement stops the entire loop immediately, not just skipping one iteration (see execution_table row 3 action).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the value of i when the break statement is executed?

A 1

B 2

C 3

D 4

💡 Hint

Check the 'Break Condition i == 3' column in row 3 of the execution_table.

At which iteration does the loop stop running?

A After iteration 2

B At iteration 3

C At iteration 4

D After iteration 5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' column in the execution_table where it says 'Break loop'.

If the break condition was changed to i == 4, what would be the last number printed?

A 4

B 5

C 3

D 2

💡 Hint

Think about when the break would stop the loop and what numbers print before that (see variable_tracker and execution_table).

Concept Snapshot

Break statement in Go:
- Used inside loops to stop the loop immediately.
- Syntax: break
- When break runs, loop exits even if condition is true.
- Useful to stop early based on a condition.
- Example: if i == 3 { break } stops loop when i is 3.

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how the break statement works in a Go for loop. The loop runs from i = 1 to 5. Each iteration prints i unless i equals 3. When i is 3, the break statement runs and stops the loop immediately. This means the loop does not continue to 4 or 5. The variable i changes from 1 to 3, and the loop exits at 3. The key moment is understanding that break stops the whole loop, not just one iteration. The quiz questions help check your understanding of when and why the loop stops.