skipping iteration in while loop java

Question

I am just beginner at programming and I just started taking java at our school last week. What I am trying to do is skip an iteration using continue statement in while loop in java and unfortunately the output is not what I expected it to be...

This is my code:

// Using while Loop
int counter = 1;

while(counter <= 5){
    if(counter == 3){
        continue;
    }
    System.out.println(counter);
    counter++;
}

The output is: 1 2 and it doesn't print the 4 and 5 but I've noticed that the program is still not terminated.

I've even tried coding it like this:

int counter = 1;    

while(counter <= 5){
    System.out.println(counter);
    if(counter == 3){
        continue;
    }
    counter++;
}

It just prints 3 nonstop

int counter= 1;    

while(counter <= 5){
    counter++;
    if(counter == 3){
        continue;
    }
    System.out.println(counter);
}

this one prints 2 4 5 6 instead of 1 2 4 5

I have used for loop to do this and it work well

this is my code:

//using for loop
for(int counter = 1; counter <= 5; counter++){
     if(counter == 3){
          continue;
     }
     System.out.println(counter);
}

this prints the right output...

Now, can anyone please tell me what is my mistake in using while loop in doing this exercise? Thanks...

Answer 1

if(counter == 3){
    continue;
}
System.out.println(counter);
counter++;

Here the continue statement skips the ctr++; statement, so it is always 3 and the while loop never terminates

int counter = 1;    

while(counter <= 5){
    System.out.println(counter);
    if(counter == 3){
        continue;
    }
    counter++;
}

Here the print statement will be reached, as it is before the continue statment, but the counter++; will still be by passed, resulting in an infinite loop of printing 3.

int counter= 1;    

while(counter <= 5){
    counter++;
    if(counter == 3){
        continue;
    }
    System.out.println(counter);
}

Here counter++ is reached, but it will be incremented before the println() so it prints out one plus the values you want

Answer 2

By the way, in first answer given by @GBlodgett, you know why your program is not showing the result you were expecting. This is how you can achieve your result.

// Using while Loop

int counter = 0;

while(counter < 5){
    counter++;
    if(counter == 3){
        continue;
    }


    System.out.println(counter);

    }

Answer 3

The issue is that once counter == 3, it will always hit the if statement as true and never increment counter again. So your while loop will print 1 2 and then execute infinitely.

In order to solve the issue, code it like this:

// Using while Loop
int counter = 1;

while(counter <= 5){
    if(counter == 3){
        counter++;
        continue;
    }
    System.out.println(counter);
    counter++;
}

Just add counter++ before your continue statement. Hope this helps.