Chapter # 06

Looping Structures
Chapter Outline

Loops
‘while’ Loop
‘do while’ Loop
Pretest and posttest Loop
‘for’ Loop
Nested Loops
Loops

A type of control structure that repeats a statement or set of statements is known as looping
structure. It is also known as iterative or repetitive structure. In sequential structure, all
statements are executed once.
Loops are basically used for two purpose:
To execute a statement or number of statements for a specified number of times. E.g., a
user may display his name on screen for 10 times.
 To use a sequence of values, e.g., a user may display a set of natural numbers from 1 to
10.
Types
There are three types of loops
 While loop
 Do while loop
 For loop
Counter Controlled Loops

This type of loops depend upon the value of a variable known as a counter variable. The
value of counter variable is incremented or decremented each time the body of the loop is
executed.
This loop terminates when the value of counter variable reaches a particular value.
The number of iterations of counter-controlled loop is known in advance.
The iteration of this loop depends on the following:
 Initial value of the counter variable.
  Terminating condition.
   Increment or decrement value
Sentinel Controlled Loops

This type of loop depends upon special value known as sentinel value. The loop terminates
when the sentinel value is encountered.
These types of loops are also known as conditional loops.
 E.g., a loop may execute while the value of a variable is not -1. Here -1 is the sentinel value
that is used to terminate the loop.
The number of iterations of sentinel-controlled loop is unknown. It depends on the input
from the user. Suppose the sentinel value to terminate a loop is -1.
It the user enters -1 in first iteration, loop will execute only once. But if user enters -1 after
entering many other values, the number of iteration will vary accordingly.
A sentinel value is commonly used with while and do-while loops.
‘while’ Loop
While loop is the simplest loop of C++ language. This
loop executes one or more statements while the given
condition  remains true. It is useful when the number of
iterations is not known in advance.
Syntax
while( condition )
{
                statement 1;
                statement 2;
                ;
                ;
                Statement n;
}
 #include <iostream.h>
#include <conio.h>

‘while’ loop main()

{
program       int n = 0;
      while(n < 5)
      {
              cout<<"Pakistan\n";
              n++;
              }
              getche();
              }
‘do while’ Loop
It is an iterative control in C++ language.
This loop executes one or more statements while the given
condition is true.
In this loop, the condition comes after the body of the loop.
It is an important loop in a situation when the loop body
must be executed at least once.
Syntax
do {
Statement 1;
Statement 2;
.
.
Statement n;
}
While (condition)
 #include <iostream.h>
#include <conio.h>
main()
‘do while’ program {
      int c = 10;
      do
      {
          cout<<c<<endl;
          c--;
          }
      while(c >= 1);
      getche();
}
 A pretest is a condition used to test for the completion of
loop at the top of loop.
Statements inside the body are never executed if the
terminating conditions are false.

Pretest and
n =0;
while ( n==0) {

posttest in }
loop body

loops A posttest is a condition used to test for the completion of

the loop at the bottom of loop.
Statements in the loop will always be executed at-least
once.
do {
loop body
}
while ( n==0)
‘for’ Loop
For loop executes one or more statements for a
specified number of times.
This loop is also called counter-controlled loop.
It is the most flexible loop. That is why, it is the
most frequently used loop by the programmers.
Syntax
for (initialization ; condition; increment/decrement)
{
                Statement 1;
                Statement 2;
                …..
                …..
                Statement n;
}
‘for’ Loop Program

#include <iostream.h>
#include <conio.h>
main()
{
      int n;
      for(n = 1; n<= 5 ; n++)
      cout<<n<<endl;
      getche();
}
 • The C++ continue statement is used to continue loop.
• It continues the current flow of the program and skips the
remaining code at specified condition.
Continue • In case of inner loop, it continues only inner loop.

Statement • Program
#include <iostream>  
using namespace std;  
int main()  
{  
     for(int i=1;i<=10;i++){      
            if(i==5){      
                continue;      
            }      
            cout<<i<<"\n";      
        }        
}  
‘break’ Statement

The C++ break is used to break loop or

switch statement.
It breaks the current flow of the program at
the given condition.
In case of inner loop, it breaks only inner
loop.
 #include <iostream>  
using namespace std;  
int main() {  
      for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++)    
‘break’ Statement           {    
Program               if (i == 5)    
              {    
                  break;    
              }    
        cout<<i<<"\n";    
          }    
}  
Nested Loops

A loop can be nested inside of another loop is called nested loop.

C++ allows at least 256 levels of nesting.
Syntax
while(condition) {
for (condition) {
statement(s);
}
statement(s);
// you can put more statements.
}
 #include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main () {
int i, j;
for(i = 2; i<100; i++) {

Nested Loop for(j = 2; j <= (i/j); j++)

if(!(i%j)) break;
Program // if factor found, not prime
if(j > (i/j))
cout << i << " is prime\n";
}
return 0;
}