Python Continue Statement

The continue statement is used in loops to skip the current iteration and proceed to the next iteration of the loop. It is useful when we want to ignore the current iteration of a loop under certain conditions.

What is the Continue Statement?

The continue statement helps control the flow of the loop by skipping the rest of the code in the current iteration and moving on to the next iteration.

Syntax of Continue Statement

while condition:
    if some_condition:
        continue
    # Code block to execute
            

Explanation:

In this syntax:

• condition: The condition that keeps the loop running.
• some_condition: The condition where the continue statement will skip the current iteration.
• code block: The block of code that will execute each time the loop runs, unless skipped by the continue.

counter = 0
while counter < 5:
    counter += 1
    if counter == 3:
        continue
    print(counter)
            

In this example, the continue statement skips the iteration when the value of counter is 3. Therefore, the number 3 is not printed, and the loop proceeds to the next iteration.

for i in range(1, 6):
    if i == 4:
        continue
    print(i)
            

In this example, the continue statement skips printing the number 4. The loop continues printing the other numbers in the range, but skips 4.

Best Practices for Using Continue

• Use continue sparingly: Using continue excessively can make your code less readable and harder to follow. It's better to refactor the loop logic if possible.
• Clear conditions: Ensure the condition for continue is simple and understandable, as it directly affects the flow of the loop.