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break and continue

Learn to exit a loop with break and skip with continue.

break and continue

break ends a loop immediately; continue skips the current step and continues the loop.

for (i in 1..5) {
    if (i == 3) break
    println(i)
}
// prints 1, 2

Here when i reaches 3, break ends the loop; 3, 4, 5 are not printed. break is used with a condition.

continue only skips one step: if (i == 3) continue skips 3, the loop continues.

Practice Stop at 3

Write a fun main(). In a for (i in 1..5) loop, use if (i == 3) break to end the loop at 3. Print each value with println(i). The output should be 1 and 2.

Starter code

Main.kt
fun main() {
    // Stop at 3
}

Sample solution

Main.kt
fun main() {
    for (i in 1..5) {
        if (i == 3) break
        println(i)
    }
}

Expected output

1
2

Skipping with continue

continue skips the current step but keeps the loop going. It is handy to filter out certain cases.

for (i in 1..5) {
    if (i == 3) continue
    println(i)
}
// prints 1, 2, 4, 5

Here when i is 3, continue skips that step; println does not run. The loop continues with 4 and 5.

break ends the loop entirely, while continue only skips one step. Both are used with a condition.

Questions and answers

Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.

1 What does break do?

  • Ends the loop Correct answer
  • Skips a step
  • Restarts the loop
  • Throws an error

Explanation: break exits the loop immediately.

2 Complete the break keyword

Question 
for (i in 1..5) {
    if (i == 3) ____
    println(i)
}
Answer 
for (i in 1..5) {
    if (i == 3) break
    println(i)
}

Explanation: if (i == 3) break ends the loop at 3.

3 Match break and continue

Term Meaning
break Ends the loop
continue Skips a step
if (i == 3) break Stop at 3
if (i == 3) continue Skip 3

All lessons in Beginner

1 Kotlin basics

  1. What is Kotlin?
  2. Your first program
  3. The main function
  4. Comments
  5. String templates
  6. Summary - Kotlin basics

2 Variables

  1. val and var
  2. Type inference
  3. const
  4. lateinit
  5. by lazy
  6. Summary - Variables

3 Data types

  1. Integer types
  2. Floating-point types
  3. Boolean and Char
  4. String
  5. Any and Unit
  6. Summary - Data types

4 Project: Calculator

  1. Project design
  2. Add and subtract
  3. Multiply and divide
  4. Error handling
  5. Putting it together

5 Operators

  1. Arithmetic operators
  2. Assignment operators
  3. Comparison operators
  4. Logical operators
  5. Elvis operator
  6. Summary - Operators

6 Strings

  1. Creating strings
  2. String templates
  3. String methods
  4. substring
  5. split and replace
  6. Summary - Strings

7 Conditionals

  1. The if statement
  2. else and else if
  3. if expression
  4. when
  5. when expression
  6. Summary - Conditionals

8 Loops

  1. The for loop
  2. The while loop
  3. The do-while loop
  4. Range
  5. break and continue
  6. Summary - Loops

9 Project: Shopping cart

  1. Cart design
  2. Adding items
  3. Calculating totals
  4. Listing the cart
  5. Putting it together

10 Arrays

  1. Creating arrays
  2. Array access
  3. Array size
  4. Array loop
  5. Array methods
  6. Summary - Arrays

11 Lists

  1. Creating lists
  2. List operations
  3. List access
  4. List iteration
  5. List methods
  6. Summary - Lists

12 Maps and Sets

  1. Creating sets
  2. Set operations
  3. Creating maps
  4. Map operations
  5. Map iteration
  6. Summary - Maps and Sets

13 Functions

  1. Defining functions
  2. Return values
  3. Expression body
  4. Default parameters
  5. Named arguments
  6. Summary - Functions

14 Null safety

  1. Nullable types
  2. ?, !! and ?:
  3. let
  4. Null check
  5. lateinit
  6. Summary - Null safety

15 Project: To-do CLI

  1. Task model
  2. Adding tasks
  3. Listing tasks
  4. Completing tasks
  5. Putting it together

16 Advanced string operations

  1. Regex
  2. matches and find
  3. replace
  4. StringBuilder
  5. trim and pad
  6. Summary - Advanced strings

17 Enums

  1. enum class
  2. Enum values
  3. Enum properties
  4. when with enum
  5. Enum and range
  6. Summary - Enums

18 Exceptions

  1. try/catch
  2. throw
  3. finally
  4. try expression
  5. Custom exceptions
  6. Summary - Exceptions

19 Class basics

  1. class
  2. Constructor
  3. Properties
  4. Methods
  5. this
  6. Summary - Class basics

20 Beginner final

  1. Project design
  2. Classes
  3. Collections
  4. Error handling
  5. Putting it together