continue statement

 

C++

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Feature test macros (C++20)

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Technical specifications

Symbols index

External libraries

 

C++ language

General topics
Preprocessor Comments	Keywords Escape sequences
Flow control
Conditional execution statements
if	switch
Iteration statements (loops)
for range-for (C++11)	while do-while
Jump statements
continue - break	goto - return
Functions
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inline specifier
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Inline assembly	History of C++

 

Statements

Labels

label : statement

Expression statements

expression ;

Compound statements

{ statement... }

Selection statements

if

switch

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while

do-while

for

range for(C++11)

Jump statements

break

continue

return

goto

Declaration statements

declaration ;

Try blocks

try compound-statement handler-sequence

Transactional memory

synchronized, atomic_commit, etc(TM TS)

 

Causes the remaining portion of the enclosing for, range-for, while or do-while loop body to be skipped.

Used when it is otherwise awkward to ignore the remaining portion of the loop using conditional statements.

Syntax

attr (optional) continue ;

Explanation

The continue statement causes a jump, as if by goto to the end of the loop body (it may only appear within the loop body of for, range-for, while, and do-while loops).

More precisely,

For while loop, it acts as

while (/* ... */)
{
   // ...
   continue; // acts as goto contin;
   // ...
   contin:;
}

For do-while loop, it acts as:

do
{
    // ...
    continue; // acts as goto contin;
    // ...
    contin:;
} while (/* ... */);

For for and range-for loop, it acts as:

for (/* ... */)
{
    // ...
    continue; // acts as goto contin;
    // ...
    contin:;
}

Keywords

continue

Example

Run this code

#include <iostream>
 
int main()
{
    for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
    {
        if (i != 5)
            continue;
        std::cout << i << " ";          // this statement is skipped each time i != 5
    }
 
    std::cout << '\n';
 
    for (int j = 0; 2 != j; ++j)
    {
        for (int k = 0; k < 5; k++)     // only this loop is affected by continue
        {
            if (k == 3)
                continue;
            // this statement is skipped each time k == 3:
            std::cout << '(' << j << ',' << k << ") ";
        }
    }
}

Output:

5
(0,0) (0,1) (0,2) (0,4) (1,0) (1,1) (1,2) (1,4)