What is a loop control variable?

 Loop control variable is a variable that is used to

control the execution of a loop in a computer
program. It is also known as a loop counter, loop
index, or iteration variable. It is typically used to
keep track of the number of times that a loop
has executed, and to determine when the loop
should terminate.
 In many programming languages, the syntax for a loop
involves declaring a loop control variable and initializing it to
a starting value. The loop then executes a block of code
repeatedly, incrementing or decrementing the loop control
variable by a fixed amount with each iteration. The loop
control variable is tested at the beginning of each iteration
to determine if the loop should continue executing or if it
should terminate.
Program performance improves if you define your loop control variables appropriately.

For better program performance, use one of the following types for your loop control variables. You
should rarely, if ever, use other types of variables.

Performance also improves if loop control variables are not members of arrays, structures, or
unions. The compiler issues a warning message when they are. Loop control variables that are
AUTOMATIC and not used for any other purpose give you the optimal code generation.

If a loop control variable is a FIXED BINARY, performance is best if it has precision 31 and is SIGNED.

Performance is decreased if your program depends not only on the value of a loop control variable,
but also on its address. For example, the performance is decreased if the ADDR built-in function is
applied to the variable or if the variable is passed by reference (BYADDR) to another routine.
Using a Loop Control Variable
You can use a while loop to execute a body of statements continuously as long as some condition
continues to be true. To make a while loop end correctly, you should declare a variable to control
the loop’s execution, and three separate actions should occur:

 The loop control variable is initialized before entering the loop.

 The loop control variable is tested, and if the result is true, the loop
body is entered.
 The body of the loop must take some action that alters the value of
the loop control variable (so that the while expression eventually
evaluates as false).
Consider an interactive program that displays “Hello” repeatedly as long as the user wants to
continue. The loop is indefinite because each time the program executes, the loop might be
performed a different number of times.

The program shown in this example continues to

display “Hello” while the user’s response is Y. If the
user enters anything other than Y, the program ends.
The loop could also be written to display while the
response is not N. In that case, a user entry of
anything other than N would cause the program to
continue. A value such as Y or N that stops a loop is
called a sentinel value.
 In C programming, a loop control variable is a variable used to control the execution of a loop.
It is typically used to keep track of the number of times that a loop has executed, and to
determine when the loop should terminate. Here are some examples of loop control variables
in C programming:

 Integer Loop Control Variables: Integer variables are commonly used as loop control variables in C.
They are used to count the number of times a loop has executed and to determine when the loop
should terminate. For example:

In this example, ‘i’ is the loop control variable. It is initialized to 0, incremented by 1 with each iteration, and
the loop will terminate when ‘i’ becomes 10.
 Floating-Point Loop Control Variables: Floating-point variables are used when the loop counter needs to
have a fractional value. They are often used in scientific and mathematical computations. For example:

In this example, 'x' is the loop control variable. It is initialized to 0.0, incremented by 0.1 with each
iteration, and the loop will terminate when 'x' becomes 1.0.

 Character Loop Control Variables: Character variables are used in loops that process strings or individual
characters. They are often used to iterate through strings, search for characters or substrings, or convert
characters to uppercase or lowercase. For example:

In this example, 'i' is the loop control variable. It is initialized to 0, incremented by 1 with each iteration, and
the loop will terminate when the null character is encountered in the string.
 Boolean Loop Control Variables: Boolean variables are used to control loops that need to execute based on a
true or false condition. They are often used to search for values in arrays, check the status of input devices,
or perform logical operations. For example:

In this example, 'found' is the loop control variable. It is

initialized to false and set to true when the value 3 is
found in the array. The loop will terminate when the
value is found and the 'break' statement is executed.

 Pointer Loop Control Variables: Pointer variables are used in loops that iterate through arrays or linked
lists. They are often used to traverse arrays or linked lists, access data stored in memory, or manipulate
data structures. For example:
In this example, 'ptr' is the loop control variable. It is
initialized to point to the first element in the array, and
incremented with each iteration to point to the next element.
The loop will terminate when 'ptr' points to the end of the
array.
Why use loop control variable?
Loop control variables are used in programming to control the execution of loops. They provide a way to iterate
through a block of code a certain number of times, or until a specific condition is met. Here are some reasons why
loop control variables are used:

 To control the number of iterations: A loop control variable can be used to determine how many times a loop
should be executed. This is useful when the number of iterations needed is known beforehand, such as when
processing a fixed-length array.

 To control the termination of the loop: A loop control variable can be used to determine when a loop should
terminate. This is useful when the loop needs to continue until a certain condition is met, such as when
searching for a value in an array or when processing data until the end of a file is reached.

 To access data elements in a sequence: Loop control variables are often used to iterate through arrays, linked
lists, and other data structures. This allows the programmer to access each element in the sequence one at a
time and perform operations on them.
 To perform conditional processing: Loop control variables can be used to execute code based on a
certain condition. For example, a loop could be designed to execute only when a certain value is
present in an array.

 To improve code efficiency: By using a loop control variable, code can be written in a more concise
and efficient manner. This can save time and resources when processing large amounts of data.

In summary, loop control variables are a fundamental concept in programming that allow for the
efficient iteration through a block of code. They provide a way to control the number of iterations and
the termination of the loop, access data elements in a sequence, perform conditional processing, and
improve code efficiency.
Applications of loop control variables
Loop control variables are an important concept in programming, and they have many applications. Here are
some of the most common applications of loop control variables:

 Iterating through arrays and other data structures: Loop control variables are commonly used to iterate
through arrays, linked lists, and other data structures. This allows the programmer to access each
element in the sequence one at a time and perform operations on them.

 Reading and writing data from files: Loop control variables are often used to read or write data from files.
The loop can continue until the end of the file is reached, or until a specific condition is met.

 Searching for values in arrays: Loop control variables can be used to search for values in arrays. The loop
can continue until the value is found, or until the end of the array is reached.

 Counting the number of iterations: Loop control variables can be used to count the number of times a
loop has been executed. This can be useful for tracking the progress of a program, or for measuring the
performance of a specific algorithm.
 Controlling program flow: Loop control variables can be used to control the flow of a program. For
example, they can be used to implement a menu system that allows the user to choose from a list of
options.

 Implementing algorithms: Loop control variables are essential for implementing many algorithms,
such as sorting, searching, and numerical analysis algorithms.

In summary, loop control variables have many applications in programming. They are used for iterating
through data structures, reading and writing files, searching for values, counting iterations, controlling
program flow, and implementing algorithms.
End