freeCodeCamp/guide/english/javascript/loops/labeled-statement/index.md

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2018-10-12 19:37:13 +00:00
---
title: Labeled Statement
---
## Labeled Statement
The **Labeled Statement** is used with the `break` and `continue` statements and serves to identify the statement to which the `break` and `continue` statements apply.
### Syntax
``` javascript
labelname:
statements
```
### Usage
Without the use of a `labeled` statement the `break` statement can only break out of a loop or a `switch` statement. Using a `labeled` statement allows `break` to jump out of any code block.
#### Example
``` javascript
foo: {
console.log("This prints:");
break foo;
console.log("This will never print.");
}
console.log("Because execution jumps to here!")
/* output
This prints:
Because execution jumps to here! */
```
When used with a `continue` statement the `labeled` statement allows you to skip a loop iteration, the advantage comes from being able to jump out from an inner loop to an outer one when you have nested loop statements. Without the use of a `labeled` statement you could only jump out of the existing loop iteration to the `next iteration of the same loop.`
#### Example
``` javascript
// without labeled statement, when j==i inner loop jumps to next iteration
function test() {
for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
console.log("i=" + i);
for (var j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
if (j === i) {
continue;
}
console.log("j=" + j);
}
}
}
/* output
i=0 (note j=0 is missing)
j=1
j=2
i=1
j=0 (note j=1 is missing)
j=2
i=2
j=0
j=1 (note j=2 is missing)
*/
// using a labeled statement we can jump to the outer (i) loop instead
function test() {
outer: for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
console.log("i=" + i);
for (var j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
if (j === i) {
continue outer;
}
console.log("j=" + j);
}
}
}
/*
i=0 (j only logged when less than i)
i=1
j=0
i=2
j=0
j=1
*/
```
### More Information:
<a href='https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/label' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>MDN</a>