PythonLoops (for & while)Break, continue, else

Loop Control Statements in Python

Python provides special statements to control the flow of loops — making them more flexible and powerful:

  1. break – exit the loop entirely
  2. continue – skip the current iteration
  3. else – run a block after the loop ends, unless the loop was exited with break

These can be used in both for loops and while loops.

Example 1: The break Statement

break is used to immediately stop the loop, regardless of the loop condition or sequence.

break_example.py
for num in range(1, 10):
    if num == 5:
        break
    print(num)
output.txt
1
2
3
4

Explanation:

  • The loop starts at 1.
  • When num == 5, the break statement exits the loop.
  • The loop prints only 1 to 4.

Example 2: The continue Statement

continue is used to skip the rest of the current iteration and go to the next loop cycle.

continue_example.py
for num in range(1, 6):
    if num == 3:
        continue
    print(num)
output.txt
1
2
4
5

Explanation:

  • The loop skips printing 3 and continues with 4 and 5.

Example 3: The else Clause With Loops

An else block can be attached to a loop:

  • It runs after the loop finishes normally (without break).
  • If the loop exits with break, the else block is skipped.
else_for.py
for i in range(1, 4):
    print(i)
else:
    print("Loop completed without break")
output.txt
1
2
3
Loop completed without break

Explanation:

  • The loop runs all iterations — so the else runs.

Example 4: Using break and else Together

break_else.py
for i in range(1, 6):
    if i == 4:
        print("Breaking at", i)
        break
    print(i)
else:
    print("Loop finished without break")
output.txt
1
2
3
Breaking at 4

Explanation:

  • The loop exits with break, so the else block is not run.

Example 5: while Loop With break

while_break.py
count = 0
while True:
    count += 1
    print("Count:", count)
    if count == 3:
        break
output.txt
Count: 1
Count: 2
Count: 3

Explanation:

  • The loop is infinite (while True).
  • The loop is stopped by break when count reaches 3.

Example 6: Skipping Odd Numbers With continue

while_continue.py
i = 0
while i < 6:
    i += 1
    if i % 2 != 0:
        continue
    print(i)
output.txt
2
4
6

Explanation:

  • Odd numbers are skipped using continue.
  • Even numbers are printed.

When to Use Loop Control Statements

StatementPurpose
breakStop loop early when a condition is met (exit loop)
continueSkip current iteration, continue with next
elseRun only when loop completes without break (useful for search patterns)

Summary

  • break, continue, and else give you full control of loop behavior.
  • They can be used in both for and while loops.
  • Use break to exit early, continue to skip an iteration, and else to handle post-loop actions.

In the next section, we will explore functions — how to define them, use arguments and return values, and build reusable components in Python programs.

WhileDefining Functions