Continue statement in Go

Introduction

The continue statement helps you skip the rest of the current loop step and move to the next one. It makes your loops cleaner when you want to ignore some cases.

When you want to skip processing certain items in a list but keep looping over the rest.

When checking conditions inside a loop and you want to jump to the next item if a condition is met.

When filtering data inside a loop without breaking the entire loop.

When you want to avoid nested if-else blocks by skipping unwanted cases early.

Syntax

Go

continue

The continue statement is used inside loops like for.

It immediately skips to the next iteration of the loop.

Examples

This loop prints numbers 1 to 5 but skips printing 3.

Go

for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
    if i == 3 {
        continue
    }
    fmt.Println(i)
}

This loop prints all letters in "hello" except the letter 'l'.

Go

for _, ch := range "hello" {
    if ch == 'l' {
        continue
    }
    fmt.Printf("%c", ch)
}

Sample Program

This program loops from 1 to 10. It skips even numbers using continue and prints only odd numbers.

Go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ {
        if i%2 == 0 {
            continue // skip even numbers
        }
        fmt.Println(i) // print only odd numbers
    }
}

Important Notes

Using continue can make your loops easier to read by avoiding deep nesting.

Be careful not to create infinite loops by skipping the part that changes the loop variable.

Summary

continue skips the rest of the current loop step and moves to the next.

It is useful to ignore certain cases inside loops without stopping the whole loop.

Use it to keep your code simple and clear when filtering or checking conditions.

Practice

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

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. Repeats the current iteration without moving forward

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of continue in loops

   The continue statement tells the loop to skip the remaining code in the current iteration.

2. Step 2: Identify what happens after continue

   After skipping, the loop moves on to the next iteration without stopping the whole loop.

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 step [OK]

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

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing continue with break
• Thinking continue exits the function
• Assuming continue repeats the iteration

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

easy

A. continue

B. continue {}

C. continue()

D. continue;

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Go syntax for statements

   In Go, continue is a keyword used alone without parentheses or semicolons.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct form

   The correct usage is simply continue by itself inside the loop.

3. Final Answer:

   continue -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Go statements like continue have no parentheses or semicolons [OK]

Hint: Use continue alone, no parentheses or semicolon needed [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding semicolon after continue
• Using continue as a function with parentheses
• Using braces {} after continue

3. What will be the output of the following Go code?

for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
    if i == 3 {
        continue
    }
    fmt.Print(i, " ")
}

medium

A. 1 2 3 4 5

B. 1 2

C. 3 4 5

D. 1 2 4 5

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the loop and condition

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

2. Step 2: Determine printed values

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

3. Final Answer:

   1 2 4 5 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips printing 3 [OK]

Hint: Skip printing when continue hits condition [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including 3 in output
• Stopping loop instead of skipping
• Printing nothing due to misunderstanding continue

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

for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
    if i == 2 {
        continue()
    }
    fmt.Println(i)
}

medium

A. The loop condition is incorrect

B. fmt.Println is used incorrectly

C. Using parentheses with continue causes a syntax error

D. continue should be replaced with break

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the usage of continue

   In Go, continue is a statement without parentheses. Using continue() causes a syntax error.

2. Step 2: Verify other parts

   The loop condition and fmt.Println usage are correct. The error is only in the continue syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   Using parentheses with continue causes a syntax error -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   continue has no parentheses in Go [OK]

Hint: Don't add parentheses after continue [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Writing continue() instead of continue
• Confusing continue with break
• Misreading loop condition as error

5. You want to print all numbers from 1 to 10 except multiples of 3 using a for loop and continue. Which code snippet correctly achieves this?

hard

A. for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ {
if i % 3 != 0 {
continue
}
fmt.Println(i)
}

B. for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ {
if i % 3 == 0 {
continue
}
fmt.Println(i)
}

C. for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ {
if i % 3 == 0 {
break
}
fmt.Println(i)
}

D. for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ {
if i % 3 == 0 {
fmt.Println(i)
continue
}
}

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the goal

   We want to skip printing numbers divisible by 3 and print all others from 1 to 10.

2. Step 2: Analyze each option

   for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ { if i % 3 == 0 { continue } fmt.Println(i) } skips printing multiples of 3 using continue correctly. for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ { if i % 3 != 0 { continue } fmt.Println(i) } skips non-multiples, printing only multiples. for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ { if i % 3 == 0 { break } fmt.Println(i) } breaks the loop early. for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ { if i % 3 == 0 { fmt.Println(i) continue } } prints multiples and skips others incorrectly.

3. Final Answer:

   for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ { if i % 3 == 0 { continue } fmt.Println(i) } -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips multiples of 3, print others [OK]

Hint: Use if condition with continue to skip unwanted values [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using break instead of continue
• Reversing the condition logic
• Printing inside the continue block