Break Statement in C

The break in C is a loop control statement that breaks out of the loop when encountered. It can be used inside loops or switch statements to bring the control out of the block. The break statement can only break out of a single loop at a time.

Let’s take a look at an example:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
      
      	// Exit the loop when i equals 5
        if (i == 5) {
            break;  
        }
        printf("%d ", i);
    }
    return 0;
}

1 2 3 4 

Explanation: In this program, the break statement exits the loop when i == 5. As a result, the loop stops prematurely, and only the numbers 1 to 4 are printed.

Syntax of break

// in a block {
break;
}

We just put the break wherever we want to terminate the execution of the loop.

How break Works?

The working of the break statement in C is described below:

1. STEP 1: The loop execution starts after the test condition is evaluated.
2. STEP 2: If the break condition is present the condition will be evaluated.
3. STEP 3A: If the condition is true, the program control reaches the break statement and skips the further execution of the loop by jumping to the statements directly below the loop.
4. STEP 3B: If the condition is false, the normal flow of the program control continues.

Flowchart of break

Examples of break

The following examples illustrate the use of break in C programming:

break with Nested Loops

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
  
    // Nested for loops with break statement
    // at inner loop
    for (int i = 1; i <= 6; ++i) {
        for (int j = 1; j <= i; ++j) {
            if (i <= 4) {
                printf("%d ", j);
            }
            else {
              
                // If i > 4 then this innermost loop will
                // break
                break;
            }
        }
        printf("\n");
    }
    return 0;
}

1 
1 2 
1 2 3 
1 2 3 4 

Break statement only breaks out of one loop at a time. So, if in nested loop, we have used break in inner loop, the control will come to outer loop instead of breaking out of all the loops at once. We will have to use multiple break statements if we want to break out of all the loops.

break with Simple Loops

#include <stdio.h>
int main(){

    // Using break inside for loop to terminate
  	// after 2 iterations
    printf("break in for loop\n");
    for (int i = 1; i < 5; i++) {
        if (i == 3) {
            break;
        }
        else {
            printf("%d ", i);
        }
    }

    // using break inside while loop to terminate
  	// after 2 iterations
    printf("\nbreak in while loop\n");
    int i = 1;
    while (i < 20) {
        if (i == 3)
            break;
        else
            printf("%d ", i);
        i++;
    }
    return 0;
}

break in for loop
1 2 
break in while loop
1 2 

Explanation: In this code, the break statement is used in both a for and while loop to terminate after two iterations. In both loops, numbers 1 and 2 are printed, and when i reaches 3, the break statement exits the loop, stopping further iterations. This demonstrates how break can be used to stop execution based on a specific condition.

Break in C switch case

In general, the Switch case statement evaluates an expression, and depending on the value of the expression, it executes the statement associated with the value. Not only that, all the cases after the matching case after the matching case will also be executed. To prevent that, we can use the break statement in the switch case as shown:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main() {
    char c;
    float x, y;

    while (1) {
        printf("Enter an operator (+, -), if want to exit "
               "press x: ");
        scanf(" %c", &c);
        // to exit
        if (c == 'x')
            exit(0);

        printf("Enter Two Values:\n ");
        scanf("%f %f", &x, &y);

        switch (c) {
            
        // For Addition
        case '+':
            printf("%.1f + %.1f = %.1f\n", x, y, x + y);
            break;
            
        // For Subtraction
        case '-':
            printf("%.1f - %.1f = %.1f\n", x, y, x - y);
            break;
        default:
            printf(
                "Error! please write a valid operator\n");
        }
    }
}

Output:

Enter an operator (+, -), if want to exit press x: +
Enter Two Values:
10
20
10.0 + 20.0 = 30.0

Explanation: This C program uses a while loop to repeatedly prompt the user for an operator and two numbers, performing addition or subtraction based on the operator entered. The break statement is used in the switch case to exit after executing the relevant operation, and the program exits when the user enters ‘x’. If an invalid operator is provided, an error message is displayed.

break vs continue

The difference between the break and continue in C is listed in the below table:

C Break Statement – FAQs

Can break be used outside of loops or switch statements?

No, the break statement is only valid inside loops (for, while, do-while) and switch statements. Using it elsewhere will result in a compilation error.

What happens if break is used inside nested loops?

When break is used inside nested loops, it only exits the innermost loop where it is placed. The outer loop will continue executing.

Does break skip the remaining code in the loop iteration?

Yes, break immediately exits the loop, skipping any remaining code in the current iteration.

Can break be used with if statements alone?

No, break must be inside a loop or switch statement to function. Using it within an if outside these constructs causes an error.

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Article Tags :

• C Language