COMP6112 – Algorithm and

Programming
Week 4 - Program Control: Selection &
Repetition
 Sub Topics
Program Control: Selection & Repetition
• Selection
• Repetition
• Break Vs. Continue
• Go to and Label
• Error Type
SELECTION
 Selection Definition
 In an algorithm implementation, an instruction
or block of instructions may be executed (or
not) with certain predetermined condition

 Syntax:
– if
– if-else
– switch-case
 Selection : if
Syntax :
if (boolean expression) statement;
or
if (boolean expression) {
statement1;
statement2; Block of statements
……
}

If boolean expression resulting in True, then a statement or

some statements will be executed.
 Selection : if
• Flow Chart of IF Statement

false true

condition

statements
 Selection : if-else
Syntax :
if (boolean expression) statement1;
else statement2;
or If boolean
if (boolean expression){ expression
statement1; resulting in TRUE,
Block
then statement1 or
statement2; statement 1
block statement1
…… will be executed, if
} FALSE then
else { statement2 or
statement3; Block block statement2
statement4; statement 2 be executed.
…
}
 Selection : if-else
Flow Chart of IF-ELSE Statement

false true

condition

statements 2 statements 1
 Selection : Nested-if
• Nested selection occurs when the word IF appears more than
once within IF statement.
Syntax :
if (boolean expression) statement1;
if (boolean expression) statement2;
if (boolean expression) statement3;
or
if (boolean expression) statement1;
else
if (boolean expression) statement2;
else
if (boolean expression) statement3;
 Program Examples Using IF

• Example : (Grade Program)

 Program Examples Using IF-
Else
• Example : (Calculator Program)
 Selection: SWITCH-CASE

• Switch-Case Operation
This statement is used in exchange of IF-ELSE, when if-else
nested number of level is enormous and difficult to read

• Syntax:
switch (expression) {
case constant1 : statements1; break;
.
.
case constant2 : statements2; break;
default : statements;
}
 Selection: SWITCH-CASE

• Switch statement evaluate an expression by looking up for

each case constant value. If an expression value matches
with a case constant value then related statement/s is
executed. If nothing match then default statement is
executed.

• Note:
Expression and constant type should be integer (including
char)
 Selection: SWITCH-CASE

 Flow Chart of SWITCH-CASE Statement

 Program Examples Using
SWITCH-CASE
• Example :
REPETITION
 Repetition Definition
 One or more instruction repeated for certain amount of time

 Number of repetition can be predefined (hard-coded in

program) or defined later at run time

 Repetition/looping operation:
– for
– while
– do-while
 Repetition: FOR
• Syntax:

for(exp1; exp2; exp3) statement;

or:
for(exp1; exp2; exp3){
statement1;
statement2;
…….
}

exp1 : initialization
exp2 : conditional
exp3 : increment or decrement
exp1, exp2 and exp3 are optional
 Repetition: FOR
• exp1 and exp3 can consist of several expression separated with
comma

• Example:
void reverse(char ss[])
{
int c,i,j;
for(i=0, j=strlen(ss)-1; i<j; i++, j--){
c=ss[i];
ss[i]=ss[j];
ss[j]=c;
}
}
 Repetition: FOR
• Flow Chart of FOR Statement

exp1

exp3

statements

true
exp2

false
 Repetition: FOR
• Flow Chart of FOR Statement Example :
 Program Examples Using for

• Example :
– Program to print out numbers from 1 to 10

– Program to print out numbers from 10 to 1

 Repetition: WHILE
• Syntax :
while (exp) statements;
or:
while(exp){
statement1;
statement2;
…..
}
• while (exp) statements;
• exp is Boolean expression. It will result in true (not zero) or
false (equal to zero).
• Statement will be executed while the exp is not equal to zero.
• exp evaluation is done before the statements executed.
 Repetition: WHILE
• Flow Chart of WHILE Statement

statements

condition
true

false
 Repetition : WHILE
• Example :

In while operation, statement block of statements may

never be executed at all if exp value is false
Program Examples Using
while
 Program Examples Using
while
• Example: (Question)
 Repetition : DO-WHILE
• Syntax : Example :
do{ int counter=0;
do {
< statements >; printf( "%d ", counter );
} while(exp); ++counter;
} while (counter <= 10);

• Keep executing while exp is true

• exp evaluation done after executing the statement(s)
 Repetition : DO-WHILE
 Flow Chart of DO-WHILE Statement

statements

true
condition

false
 Repetition : DO-WHILE
 Flow Chart of DO-WHILE Statement

In do-while on the other hand statement block of

statements will be executed min once
 Program Examples Using
do-while
• Example: (Sentinel)
As sentinel, used 0 for width or height
BREAK VS CONTINUE
 Break vs Continue
• break:
– ending loop (for, while and do-while)
– end the switch operation

• continue:
skip all the rest of statements (subsequent to
the skip statement) inside a repetition, and
continue normally to the next loop
 Program Examples Using :

break
• Example using break:
 Program Examples Using :

continue
• Example using continue:
GO TO AND LABEL
 Go To and Label
• C is still providing the old fashion goto statement
• Syntax:
goto label;
……
label :
……
• label is written using colon symbol
• Avoid using goto to improve code readability
 Program Examples Using :
goto and labeling
• Example using labeling:
ERROR TYPE
 Error Type
• Compile-Time Error
– caused by syntax error
• Link-Time Error
– success fully compiled, but cause link error
– caused by no object code at link time
• Run-Time Error
– successfully compiled, but error at runtime. Usually caused by
numerical operation such as: overflow, floating point
underflow, division by zero, etc.
• Logical Error
– wrong result caused by incorrect logical flow/algorithm
 Error Type
• Among those Error Types the most difficult to debug is
Logical Error.
• Example of Compile-Time Error:

Dev-C compiler will give message: In function main missing

terminating ” character, syntax error before return
 Error Type
• Some C compiler merge the compile and link
processes, causing in difficulty to distinguish between
Compile-Time Error with Link-Time Error
• Example of Link-Time Error (Visual C++)
 Error Type
• Example for Run-Time Error

Error cause:
Division by Zero
 Error Type
• Example for Logical-Error

Should be: x1 = 5.00 and x2 = 2.00

Can you find the logic error ??
SUMMARY
 Summary
 In an algorithm implementation, an instruction or block of
instructions may be executed (or not) with certain predetermined
condition, that’s why we use selection

 3 types of selection in C:
– if
– if-else
– switch-case
 Repetition is a condition which is one or more instruction repeated
for certain amount of time

 3 types of repetition/looping in C:
– for
– while
– do-while
 References
• Paul J. Dietel,Harvey M. Deitel,. 2010. C : how to program.
PEAPH. New Jersey. ISBN:978-0-13-705966-9 Chapter 3 & 4
• Choosing between Alternatives:
http://docs.roxen.com/pike/7.0/tutorial/statements/conditions.xml
• Getting Controls: http://aelinik.free.fr/c/ch10.htm
• Doing the Same Thing Over and Over:
http://aelinik.free.fr/c/ch07.htm
Thank You