Control flow refers to the order in which statements within a program execute. While programs typically follow a sequential flow from top to bottom, there are scenarios where we need more flexibility. This article provides a clear understanding about everything you need to know about Control Flow Statements.
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Control flow statements are fundamental components of programming languages that allow developers to control the order in which instructions are executed in a program. They enable execution of a block of code multiple times, execute a block of code based on conditions, terminate or skip the execution of certain lines of code, etc.
| Control Flow Statements Type | Control Flow Statement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional Statements | if-else | Executes a block of code if a specified condition is true, and another block if the condition is false. |
| switch-case | Evaluates a variable or expression and executes code based on matching cases. | |
| Looping Statements | for | Executes a block of code a specified number of times, typically iterating over a range of values. |
| while | Executes a block of code as long as a specified condition is true. | |
| do-while | Executes a block of code once and then repeats the execution as long as a specified condition is true. | |
| Jump Statements | break | Terminates the loop or switch statement and transfers control to the statement immediately following the loop or switch. |
| continue | Skips the current iteration of a loop and continues with the next iteration. | |
| return | Exits a function and returns a value to the caller. | |
| goto | Transfers control to a labeled statement within the same function. (Note: goto is generally discouraged due to its potential for creating unreadable and error-prone code.) |
Conditional statements in programming are used to execute certain blocks of code based on specified conditions. They are fundamental to decision-making in programs. Here are some common types of conditional statements:
The if statement is used to execute a block of code if a specified condition is true.