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Infinite Loops |
Infinite Loops
An infinte loop is a loop statement (for
, while
, do-while
) which does not end on its own.
The test condition of a looping statement decides whether the loop body will execute or not. So a test condition which is always true will keep on executing the body of the loop, forever. That's the case in an infinte loop.
Examples:
// Infinite For Loop
for ( ; ; )
{
// some code here
}
// Infinite While Loop
while (true)
{
// some code here
}
// Infinite Do While Loop
do
{
// some code here
} while (true);
Normally, if your loop is running infinitely, it is an error that should not occur as an infinite loop does not stop and prevents the rest of the program from running.
for(int i=0;i<100;i++){
if(i==49){
i=0;
}
}
The loop above runs infinitely because every time i approaches 49, it is set to be 0.This is to say that i never reaches 100 to terminate the loop, so the loop is an infinite loop.
But a program stuck in such a loop will keep using computer resources indefinitely. This is undesirable, and is a type of 'run-time error'.
To prevent the error, programmers use a break statement to break out of the loop. The break executes only under a particular condition. Use of a selection statement like if-else ensures the same.
while (true)
{
// do something
if(conditionToEndLoop == true)
break;
// do more
}
The main advantage of using an infinite loop over a regular loop is readability.
Sometimes, the body of a loop is easier to understand if the loop ends in the middle, and not at the end/beginning. In such a situation, an infinite loop will be a better choice.