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WhileLoop

The document explains the while loop in C++, detailing its syntax and behavior, including how it can execute zero or more times and the potential for infinite loops. It provides examples of while loops, nested loops, and loop variables, as well as alternative implementations using for loops. Additionally, it covers reading input until the end of the file and demonstrates a two-dimensional loop for printing a multiplication table.

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vuqarmirza44
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2 views

WhileLoop

The document explains the while loop in C++, detailing its syntax and behavior, including how it can execute zero or more times and the potential for infinite loops. It provides examples of while loops, nested loops, and loop variables, as well as alternative implementations using for loops. Additionally, it covers reading input until the end of the file and demonstrates a two-dimensional loop for printing a multiplication table.

Uploaded by

vuqarmirza44
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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While loop

The while statement is the simplest of the four loops that C++ provides, and it has
a definition very similar to that of an if statement:
while (expression)
statement;

A while statement is declared using the while keyword. When a while statement is
executed, the expression is evaluated. If the expression evaluates to true (non-zero), the
statement executes.

However, unlike an if statement, once the statement has finished executing, control
returns to the top of the while statement and the process is repeated.

Let’s look at a simple while loop. The following program prints all the numbers
from 0 and 9:
#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
int count = 0;
while (count < 10)
{
printf("%d ",count);
count++;
}
printf("done!\n");
return 0;
}

Let’s take a closer look at what this program is doing. First, count is initialized to
0. 0 < 10 evaluates to true, so the statement block executes. The first statement prints 0,
and the second increments count to 1. Control then returns to the top of the while
statement. 1 < 10 evaluates to true, so the code block is executed again. The code block
will repeatedly execute until count is 10, at which point 10 < 10 will evaluate to false,
and the loop will exit.

It is possible that a while statement executes 0 times. Consider the following


program:
#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
int count = 15;
while (count < 10)
{
printf("%d ",count);
count++;
}
printf("done!\n");
return 0;
}

The condition 15 < 10 immediately evaluates to false, so the while statement is


skipped. The only thing this program prints is done!

Infinite loops
On the other hand, if the expression always evaluates to true, the while loop will
execute forever. This is called an infinite loop. Here is an example of an infinite loop:
#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
int count = 0;
while (count < 10) // this condition will never be false
{
printf("%d ",count); // this line will repeatedly execute
}
return 0;
}

Because count is never incremented in this program, count < 10 will always be
true. Consequently, the loop will never terminate, and the program will print “0 0 0 0 0
...” forever.

We can declare an infinite loop like this:


#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
while (1)
{
// this loop will execute forever
}
return 0;
}

The only way to exit an infinite loop is through a return statement, a break
statement, an exit statement, a goto statement, an exception being thrown, or the user
killing the program.

Loop variables
Often, we want a loop to execute a certain number of times. To do this, it is
common to use a loop variable, often called a counter. A loop variable is an integer
variable that is declared for the sole purpose of counting how many times a loop has
executed. In the examples above, the variable count is a loop variable. Loop variables
are often given simple names, such as i, j, or k.
Each time a loop executes, it is called an iteration.

Consider the program that for a given n finds the sum:


1 1 1
S= + +…+
1 2 2  3 n  (n + 1)
#include <stdio.h>

int i, n;
double s;

int main(void)
{
scanf("%d",&n);
s = 0; i = 1;
while(i <= n) // loop executes (iterates) n times
{
s += 1.0 / i / (i+1);
i++;
}
printf("%lf\n",s);
return 0;
}

Realization with for loop:


#include <stdio.h>

int i, n;
double s;

int main(void)
{
scanf("%d",&n);
s = 0;
for(i = 1; i <= n; i++)
s += 1.0 / (i * (i+1));
printf("%.6lf\n",s);
return 0;
}

Nested loops
It is also possible to nest loops inside of other loops. In the following example, the
inner loop and outer loops each have their own counters. However, note that the loop
expression for the inner loop makes use of the outer loop's counter as well!
#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)
{
int outer = 1;
while (outer <= 5)
{
// loop between 1 and inner
int inner = 1;
while (inner <= outer)
printf("%d ",inner++);

// print a newline at the end of each row


printf("\n");
outer++;
}
return 0;
}

Find the sum of digits of a number


#include <stdio.h>

int n, s;

int main(void)
{
scanf("%d",&n);
s = 0;
while(n > 0)
{
s = s + n % 10;
n = n / 10;
}
printf("%d\n",s);
return 0;
}

Read till the end of file


Next program reads two integers and prints their sum. We read the input data till
the end of file. Function scanf returns the number of successfully read arguments.
i = scanf("%d",&a); // i is assigned 1
i = scanf("%d %d %d",&a,&b,&c); // i is assigned 3

When we shall reach the end of file, scanf returns -1.


End Of File symbol (EOF) can be entered from the keyboard as ^z (Ctrl - z).
#include <stdio.h>

int a, b;

int main(void)
{
while(scanf("%d %d",&a,&b) == 2)
printf("%d\n",a+b);
return 0;
}

Two dimensional loop


Let’s print the multiplication table n * n.
#include <stdio.h>
int i, j, n;

int main(void)
{
scanf("%d",&n);
for(i = 1; i <= n; i++)
{
for(j = 1; j <= n; j++)
printf("%2d ",i * j);
printf("\n");
}
return 0;
}

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