Continue statement in Java - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the continue statement do in a loop?

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

beginner

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

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

Example: What will be printed by this code?

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
  if (i == 3) continue;
  System.out.print(i + " ");
}

The output will be: 1 2 4 5
Because when i is 3, continue skips printing it.

intermediate

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

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

What does the continue statement do inside a loop?

A Restarts the entire program

B Exits the loop completely

C Pauses the loop until a condition is met

D Skips the rest of the current iteration and moves to the next iteration

The continue statement skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next one.

In a for loop, what happens after continue is executed?

A The loop variable is updated and the next iteration starts

B The loop stops immediately

C The program crashes

D The loop variable resets to zero

After continue, the loop updates the variable and starts the next iteration.

Can continue be used in a while loop?

A Only in <code>do-while</code> loops

B No, it only works in <code>for</code> loops

C Yes, it skips to the next iteration

D Only inside <code>switch</code> statements

continue works in all loop types including while.

What will this code print?

for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
  if (i == 2) continue;
  System.out.print(i);
}

A 0123

B 013

C 123

D 023

When i is 2, continue skips printing it, so output is 0,1,3.

If continue is inside nested loops, which loop does it affect?

A Only the innermost loop where it appears

B All loops at once

C Only the outermost loop

D It exits all loops

continue affects only the loop it is directly inside.

Explain how the continue statement changes the flow inside a loop.

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

Describe a situation where using continue makes your code simpler than using nested if-else.

Imagine checking many conditions but only want to act on some.

Practice

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

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 method

D. Restarts the program from the beginning

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of continue

   The continue statement skips the remaining code in the current loop iteration.

2. Step 2: Effect on loop execution

   After skipping, the loop moves to the next iteration without stopping the entire 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: Continue skips current loop step, not whole loop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

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

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

easy

A. continue;

B. continue()

C. continue loop;

D. continue[];

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Java continue syntax

   The continue statement is used alone followed by a semicolon inside loops.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   continue; uses correct syntax: continue;. Others are invalid syntax in Java.

3. Final Answer:

   continue; -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct continue syntax ends with semicolon [OK]

Hint: Use just 'continue;' with semicolon inside loops [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding parentheses after continue
• Using labels without proper syntax
• Adding brackets or other symbols

3. What is the output of this Java code?

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
  if (i == 3) continue;
  System.out.print(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 skips printing.

2. Step 2: Determine printed values

   Values printed are 1, 2, 4, 5 with spaces after each.

3. Final Answer:

   1 2 4 5 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Skip i=3, print others [OK]

Hint: Continue skips printing 3, so output excludes 3 [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including 3 in output
• Stopping loop at 3
• Printing without spaces

4. Identify the error in this code snippet:

for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
  if (i == 2)
    continue
  System.out.println(i);
}

medium

A. System.out.println should be before continue

B. continue cannot be used inside for loops

C. Missing semicolon after continue statement

D. Loop condition is incorrect

Solution

1. Step 1: Check syntax of continue

   The continue statement must end with a semicolon in Java.

2. Step 2: Identify missing semicolon

   Code misses semicolon after continue, causing syntax error.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing semicolon after continue statement -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   continue requires semicolon [OK]

Hint: Always put semicolon after continue [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting semicolon after continue
• Thinking continue can't be in for loops
• Misplacing print statement

5. How can you use continue to print only odd numbers from 1 to 10 in Java?

hard

A. Use continue outside the loop

B. Use continue when number is odd to skip printing

C. Use break when number is even to stop loop

D. Use continue when number is even to skip printing

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify condition to skip even numbers

   To print only odd numbers, skip even numbers using continue.

2. Step 2: Apply continue inside loop

   When number is even, continue skips printing and moves to next iteration.

3. Final Answer:

   Use continue when number is even to skip printing -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Skip even numbers with continue [OK]

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

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping odd numbers instead of even
• Using break instead of continue
• Placing continue outside loop