Break and continue in MATLAB - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Break and continue

Start Loop

↓

Check Condition

↓

Check Break?

Yes↓

Break Loop

↓

Check Continue?

Yes↓

Skip Rest of Loop

↩Back to Start Loop

The loop starts and checks the condition. If false, it exits. If true, it checks if break or continue applies. Break exits loop immediately; continue skips to next iteration.

Execution Sample

MATLAB

for i = 1:5
  if i == 3
    break;
  elseif i == 2
    continue;
  end
  disp(i);
end

Loop from 1 to 5, skip printing 2, stop loop when i is 3.

Execution Table

Iteration	i	Condition i==3?	Condition i==2?	Action	Output
1	1	False	False	Print i	1
2	2	False	True	Continue (skip print)
3	3	True	False	Break loop
-	-	-	-	Loop ends	-

💡 Loop ends because break is triggered at i=3

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	Final
i	-	1	2	3	-

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the loop stop at i=3 even though the loop range is 1 to 5?

Because the break statement triggers when i equals 3, immediately exiting the loop as shown in execution_table row 3.

Why is the number 2 not printed even though the loop reaches i=2?

Because the continue statement skips the rest of the loop body for i=2, so disp(i) is not executed, as shown in execution_table row 2.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the output when i equals 2?

A 2 is printed

B Nothing is printed

C Loop breaks

D Error occurs

💡 Hint

Check the Action and Output columns for iteration 2 in the execution_table.

At which iteration does the loop stop executing?

A After iteration 1

B After iteration 2

C After iteration 3

D After iteration 5

💡 Hint

Look at the Condition i==3? and Action columns in the execution_table.

If the break statement was removed, what would happen to the output?

A Only 1 would print

B Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5 would print

C Numbers 1 to 5 would print except 2

D No numbers would print

💡 Hint

Without break, loop runs full range; continue skips printing 2 as shown in variable_tracker and execution_table.

Concept Snapshot

Break and continue in MATLAB loops:
- break exits loop immediately
- continue skips current iteration rest
- Use inside if conditions
- Controls loop flow clearly
- Helps skip or stop early

Full Transcript

This example shows a MATLAB for loop from 1 to 5. When i equals 2, the continue statement skips printing i, so 2 is not shown. When i equals 3, the break statement stops the loop immediately, so the loop ends early. The execution table tracks each iteration's variable i, conditions checked, actions taken, and output. The variable tracker shows how i changes each step. Key moments clarify why the loop stops early and why 2 is not printed. The visual quiz tests understanding of these steps. The concept snapshot summarizes break and continue usage in MATLAB loops.