continue statement

 

C++

Compiler support

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Language

Standard library

Standard library headers

Named requirements

Feature test macros (C++20)

Language support library

Concepts library (C++20)

Metaprogramming library (C++11)

Diagnostics library

General utilities library

Strings library

Containers library

Iterators library

Ranges library (C++20)

Algorithms library

Numerics library

Localizations library

Input/output library

Filesystem library (C++17)

Regular expressions library (C++11)

Concurrency support library (C++11)

Execution support library (C++26)

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
Function declaration
Lambda function expression
inline specifier
Dynamic exception specifications (until C++17*)
noexcept specifier (C++11)
Exceptions
throw-expression try block	handler
Namespaces
Namespace declaration	Namespace aliases
Types
Fundamental types Enumeration types Function types	Class/struct types Union types
Specifiers
const/volatile decltype (C++11) auto (C++11)	constexpr (C++11) consteval (C++20) constinit (C++20)
Storage duration specifiers
Initialization
Default-initialization Value-initialization Zero-initialization Copy-initialization Direct-initialization	Aggregate initialization List-initialization (C++11)   Constant initialization Reference initialization

Expressions
Value categories Order of evaluation	Operators Operator precedence
Alternative representations
Literals
Boolean - Integer - Floating-point
Character - String - nullptr (C++11)
User-defined (C++11)
Utilities
Attributes (C++11)
Types
typedef declaration
Type alias declaration (C++11)
Casts
Implicit conversions static_cast const_cast	Explicit conversions dynamic_cast reinterpret_cast
Memory allocation
new expression	delete expression
Classes
Class declaration Constructors this pointer	Access specifiers friend specifier
Class-specific function properties
Virtual function override specifier (C++11)   final specifier (C++11)	explicit (C++11) static
Special member functions
Default constructor Copy constructor Move constructor (C++11)	Copy assignment Move assignment (C++11) Destructor
Templates
Class template Function template	Template specialization Parameter packs (C++11)
Miscellaneous
Inline assembly	History of C++

 

Statements

Labels

label : statement

Expression statements

expression ;

Compound statements

{ statement... }

Selection statements

if

switch

Iteration statements

while

do while

for

range for (C++11)

Jump statements

break

continue

return

goto

Declaration statements

declaration ;

Try blocks

try block

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 << ") ";
        }
    std::cout << '\n';
}

Output:

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

See also

C documentation for continue