Break and continue behavior in Swift - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Break and continue behavior

Start Loop

↓

Check Condition

Yes↓

Inside Loop Body

↓

If 'continue' condition?

Yes→Skip rest, next iteration

↓

If 'break' condition?

Yes→Exit Loop

↓

Execute remaining loop code

↓

Next iteration

Back to Check Condition↓

End Loop

↩Back to Check Condition

The loop checks a condition each time. If 'continue' is met, it skips to the next iteration. If 'break' is met, it exits the loop immediately.

Execution Sample

Swift

for i in 1...5 {
    if i == 3 {
        continue
    }
    if i == 4 {
        break
    }
    print(i)
}

This loop prints numbers 1 to 5 but skips 3 and stops before printing 4.

Execution Table

Iteration	i	Check i==3	Action	Check i==4	Action	Print Output
1	1	False	No continue	False	No break	Print 1
2	2	False	No continue	False	No break	Print 2
3	3	True	Continue - skip print	-	-	-
4	4	False	No continue	True	Break - exit loop	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	Loop ends

💡 Loop stops at i=4 because break condition is met.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	After 4	Final
i	-	1	2	3	4	-

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the loop skip printing when i equals 3?

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

Why does the loop stop before printing 4?

At iteration 4, the condition i == 4 is true, so 'break' runs, exiting the loop immediately as shown in execution_table row 4.

Does 'continue' stop the entire loop?

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

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is printed when i equals 3?

A Nothing

B 3

C 4

D Error

💡 Hint

Check row 3 in the execution_table where 'continue' causes skipping print.

At which iteration does the loop stop executing?

A After i=2

B At i=4

C After i=3

D At i=5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'break' action in execution_table row 4.

If we remove the 'continue' statement, what will be printed?

A 1, 2

B 1, 2, 3, 4

C 1, 2, 3

D 1, 2, 4

💡 Hint

Without 'continue', i=3 will print, but loop breaks at i=4 before printing it.

Concept Snapshot

Swift 'break' exits the loop immediately.
Swift 'continue' skips the rest of current iteration.
Use 'break' to stop looping early.
Use 'continue' to skip specific steps.
Both affect loop flow control.

Full Transcript

This example shows a Swift for-loop from 1 to 5. When i equals 3, the 'continue' statement skips printing 3 and moves to the next number. When i equals 4, the 'break' statement stops the loop entirely, so 4 and 5 are not printed. The execution table tracks each iteration's checks and actions, showing how 'continue' skips printing and 'break' ends the loop. Variables are tracked to show i's value each step. Key moments clarify why skipping and stopping happen. The quiz tests understanding of these behaviors.