Continue statement in Javascript - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Continue statement

Start loop iteration

↓

Check condition

Yes↓

Check continue condition

↓

Skip rest

↓

Next iteration

No↓

Exit loop

Each loop iteration checks if it should skip the rest using continue; if yes, it jumps to the next iteration immediately.

Execution Sample

Javascript

for(let i=0; i<5; i++) {
  if(i === 2) continue;
  console.log(i);
}

This code loops from 0 to 4, but skips printing when i is 2.

Execution Table

Iteration	i	Condition i<5	Check if i===2	Action	Output
1	0	true	false	Print 0	0
2	1	true	false	Print 1	1
3	2	true	true	Continue (skip print)
4	3	true	false	Print 3	3
5	4	true	false	Print 4	4
6	5	false	-	Exit loop

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

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	After 4	After 5	Final
i	0	1	2	3	4	5	5

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the loop skip printing when i is 2?

Because at iteration 3 (i=2), the condition i===2 is true, so continue runs and skips the print step as shown in the execution_table row 3.

Does continue stop the whole loop?

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

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the output at iteration 3?

A 2

B No output

C 3

D Error

💡 Hint

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

At which iteration does the loop stop running?

A Iteration 4

B Iteration 5

C Iteration 6

D Iteration 3

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Condition i<5' column and the exit_note in the execution_table.

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

A It will print 2

B It will skip printing

C It will cause an error

D It will exit the loop

💡 Hint

Without continue, the print action happens every iteration as shown in the execution_table except when continue is used.

Concept Snapshot

continue statement in loops:
- Skips the rest of current iteration
- Moves immediately to next iteration
- Useful to skip specific cases
Syntax:
for(...) { if(condition) continue; ... }

Full Transcript

This visual trace shows how the continue statement works in a JavaScript for loop. The loop runs from i=0 to i=4. When i equals 2, the continue statement runs, skipping the print step for that iteration. The loop then continues with i=3. The variable i increments each iteration until it reaches 5, where the loop ends because the condition i<5 becomes false. The key point is that continue does not stop the loop, it only skips the rest of the current loop cycle and moves to the next one.

Practice

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

easy

A. It skips the rest of the current loop iteration and moves to the next iteration.

B. It stops the entire loop immediately.

C. It restarts the whole program from the beginning.

D. It pauses the loop until a condition is met.

Solution

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

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

2. Step 2: Identify what happens after continue

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

3. Final Answer:

   It 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, break stops loop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing continue with break
• Thinking continue stops the loop
• Believing continue restarts the program

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

easy

A. continue[];

B. continue;

C. continue loop;

D. continue()

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the syntax of continue

   The continue statement is used alone followed by a semicolon.

2. Step 2: Check each option for syntax correctness

   continue; uses continue; which is correct. Options A, B, and C use invalid syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   continue; -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct syntax is continue; [OK]

Hint: Use continue as a statement, no parentheses or brackets [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding parentheses after continue
• Using continue with labels incorrectly
• Adding brackets or other symbols

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

for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
  if (i === 3) continue;
  console.log(i);
}

medium

A. 1 2 3 4 5

B. 3 4 5

C. 1 2 4 5

D. 1 2

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the loop and condition

   The loop runs from 1 to 5. When i is 3, continue skips the console.log.

2. Step 2: Determine which numbers are printed

   Numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 are printed. Number 3 is skipped.

3. Final Answer:

   1 2 4 5 -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips 3, prints others [OK]

Hint: Skip printing when continue runs, others print [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including the skipped number in output
• Confusing continue with break
• Ignoring the condition inside the loop

4. Find the error in this code snippet:

for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
  if (i = 2) continue;
  console.log(i);
}

medium

A. The assignment operator (=) is used instead of comparison (===) in the if condition.

B. continue cannot be used inside for loops.

C. console.log should be before the if statement.

D. The loop condition should be i <= 5.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the if condition mistake

   The condition uses i = 2 which assigns 2 to i instead of comparing.

2. Step 2: Understand the effect of assignment in if

   Assignment returns 2 (truthy), so continue runs every time, causing an infinite loop or skipping all logs.

3. Final Answer:

   The assignment operator (=) is used instead of comparison (===) in the if condition. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use === for comparison, not = [OK]

Hint: Use === for comparison inside if, not = [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using = instead of === in conditions
• Thinking continue is invalid in for loops
• Misplacing console.log inside loop

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

hard

A. for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 === 0) return; console.log(i); }

B. for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 !== 0) continue; console.log(i); }

C. for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 === 0) break; console.log(i); }

D. for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 === 0) continue; console.log(i); }

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the goal

   We want to skip printing numbers divisible by 3, so use continue when i % 3 === 0.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 === 0) continue; console.log(i); } correctly skips multiples of 3 and prints others. for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 !== 0) continue; console.log(i); } skips non-multiples, wrong. for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 === 0) break; console.log(i); } uses break, stops loop early. for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 === 0) return; console.log(i); } uses return, invalid in this context.

3. Final Answer:

   for(let i=1; i<=10; i++) { if(i % 3 === 0) continue; console.log(i); } -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   continue skips multiples of 3, prints rest [OK]

Hint: Use continue to skip unwanted cases inside loop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using break instead of continue
• Reversing the condition logic
• Using return inside loops incorrectly