Infinite loops in Go - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Infinite loops

Start

↓

Check loop condition

↓

Condition true?

No→Exit loop

Yes↓

Execute loop body

↓

Update variables (optional)

↓

Check loop condition

The loop keeps running as long as the condition is true. If the condition never becomes false, the loop runs forever, causing an infinite loop.

Execution Sample

Go

package main
import "fmt"
func main() {
  for {
    fmt.Println("Looping forever")
  }
}

This Go program runs an infinite loop printing "Looping forever" endlessly.

Execution Table

Step	Loop Condition	Condition Result	Action	Output
1	for {}	Always true	Print "Looping forever"	Looping forever
2	for {}	Always true	Print "Looping forever"	Looping forever
3	for {}	Always true	Print "Looping forever"	Looping forever
...	for {}	Always true	Print "Looping forever"	Looping forever
∞	for {}	Always true	Print "Looping forever"	Looping forever

💡 No exit: loop condition is always true, so the loop never stops.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	...final
No variables	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does this loop never stop?

Because the loop condition is empty and always true (for {}), so the program never reaches an exit point as shown in every step of the execution_table.

Is there any variable changing to stop the loop?

No, there are no variables or conditions changing inside the loop, so nothing can make the loop stop, as confirmed by the variable_tracker showing no variables.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the condition result at step 3?

A False

B Depends on variable

C Always true

D Unknown

💡 Hint

Check the 'Condition Result' column at step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does the loop exit according to the execution table?

A Step 3

B Never

C Step 1

D Step 10

💡 Hint

Look at the exit_note and see if any step shows the loop stopping.

If we add a break statement inside the loop after printing, how would the execution table change?

A Loop would stop after step 1

B Loop would still run forever

C Loop would stop after step 3

D Loop would run twice then stop

💡 Hint

Adding break exits the loop immediately after first iteration, so check step 1 action and output.

Concept Snapshot

Infinite loops in Go:
- Use 'for {}' for an endless loop
- No condition means always true
- Loop runs forever unless broken
- Can cause program to hang
- Use break to exit loop manually

Full Transcript

This example shows an infinite loop in Go using 'for {}'. The loop condition is always true because it is empty, so the loop never stops. Each step prints "Looping forever" endlessly. There are no variables changing to stop the loop. Beginners often wonder why the loop never ends; it's because the condition never becomes false. Adding a break statement inside the loop can stop it. This trace helps visualize how the loop runs step by step without exit.