Branching Statements in Java
Branching statements are used to change the normal flow of a program.
They help in:
- Exiting from a loop or switch block
- Skipping specific loop iterations
- Returning from a method (optionally with a value)
Java provides three main branching statements:
| Statement | Description |
|---|---|
| break | Immediately exits from the current loop or switch block. It stops further execution inside that block. |
| continue | Skips the current iteration of a loop and moves to the next iteration. It does not exit the loop. |
| return | Exits from the method. If the method returns a value, you can return that value using return. |
When to Use Which?
| Use Case | Best Statement |
|---|---|
| Exit loop early | break |
| Skip an iteration | continue |
| Exit from a method (with or without value) | return |
Summary:
- Branching statements are used to control the flow of a program by exiting loops, skipping steps, or returning from methods.
- break is used to exit a loop or switch block immediately.
- continue is used to skip the current loop iteration and go to the next one.
- return is used to exit a method, and can also return a value if needed.