What is the Difference Between break and continue in Java?

🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚

The main difference between break and continue in Java lies in how they affect the execution of loops. Here are the key differences:

  • Break:
  • Terminates the loop immediately when encountered inside a loop.
  • Stops the loop iteration and returns control to the first statement after the loop.
  • Can also be used to exit a switch statement.
  • Continue:
  • Skips the current iteration of the loop and proceeds to the next iteration.
  • Does not stop the execution of the loop, but rather continues with the next iteration.

In summary, break is used to terminate a loop immediately, while continue is used to skip the current iteration and move on to the next one.

Comparative Table: break vs continue in Java

The main difference between the break and continue statements in Java lies in how they affect the execution of loops. Here's a summary of their functions:

Break Continue
Terminates the loop immediately when encountered, skipping any remaining code in the loop body Skips the current iteration of the loop and proceeds to the next one, allowing the loop to continue executing

In Java, you can use break to exit a loop prematurely, which can be useful when you want to terminate the loop based on a specific condition or when you're unsure about the actual number of iterations. On the other hand, continue can be used to skip certain iterations of the loop without terminating the loop entirely.