C# loop - break vs. continue

c# loops enumeration
Seibar picture Seibar · Aug 8, 2008 · Viewed 758.2k times · Source

In a C# (feel free to answer for other languages) loop, what's the difference between break and continue as a means to leave the structure of the loop, and go to the next iteration?

Example:

foreach (DataRow row in myTable.Rows)
{
    if (someConditionEvalsToTrue)
    {
        break; //what's the difference between this and continue ?
        //continue;
    }
}

Answer

Michael Stum picture Michael Stum · Aug 8, 2008

break will exit the loop completely, continue will just skip the current iteration.

For example:

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    if (i == 0) {
        break;
    }

    DoSomeThingWith(i);
}

The break will cause the loop to exit on the first iteration - DoSomeThingWith will never be executed. This here:

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    if(i == 0) {
        continue;
    }

    DoSomeThingWith(i);
}

Will not execute DoSomeThingWith for i = 0, but the loop will continue and DoSomeThingWith will be executed for i = 1 to i = 9.

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