Continue statement in Go - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Continue statement

Start Loop

↓

Check Condition

Yes↓

Check if continue condition

↓

Skip rest of loop

↓

Next iteration

↓

End Loop

The loop checks a condition each time. If the continue condition is true, it skips the rest of the loop body and moves to the next iteration.

Execution Sample

Go

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

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

Execution Table

Iteration	i value	Condition i == 3?	Action	Output
1	1	No	Print 1	1
2	2	No	Print 2	2
3	3	Yes	Continue (skip print)
4	4	No	Print 4	4
5	5	No	Print 5	5
6	6	Loop ends	Exit loop

💡 i reaches 6, condition i <= 5 is false, loop ends

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	After 4	After 5	Final
i	1	2	3	4	5	6	6

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the number 3 not get printed even though i reaches 3?

Because at iteration 3, the condition i == 3 is true, so the continue statement skips the print action as shown in execution_table row 3.

Does the continue statement stop the entire loop?

No, continue only skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next one, as seen in execution_table rows 3 and 4.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the output at iteration 3?

A 3

B No output

C Error

D 0

💡 Hint

Check the 'Output' column for iteration 3 in the execution_table.

At which iteration does the loop stop running?

A 6

B 3

C 5

D 1

💡 Hint

Look at the exit_note and the last row in execution_table.

If we remove the continue statement, what will happen at iteration 3?

A Loop will break

B Nothing changes

C 3 will be printed

D Loop will skip iteration 4

💡 Hint

Refer to the action and output difference in execution_table row 3.

Concept Snapshot

Go continue statement:
- Used inside loops to skip current iteration
- Syntax: continue
- When hit, skips rest of loop body
- Loop continues with next iteration
- Useful to ignore specific cases without breaking loop

Full Transcript

This example shows a Go for loop from 1 to 5. Each time, it checks if the current number i equals 3. If yes, the continue statement skips printing that number and moves to the next loop cycle. Otherwise, it prints the number. The loop stops when i becomes 6 because the condition i <= 5 is false. The continue statement only skips the current iteration, not the whole loop.

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