Chapter 19: continue Statement in Java

This chapter is only about continue: skip the rest of the current iteration and jump to the next iteration’s condition check (for while/do-while) or update step (for classic for). break was Chapter 18.

1. Topic title

continue: “skip what is left below me in this lap, start the next lap”

2. What it means

When continue runs inside a loop:

• for: jump to the update part, then condition.
• while / do-while: jump to the condition (for do-while, after a continue you go to the condition, not straight into the body again without checking—think it through on paper).

continue does not exit the loop—it skips the remainder of the current pass.

Labeled continue (rare) targets an outer loop’s next iteration—only needed in nested designs; most code avoids it.

3. Why it is used

You want to filter inside a loop without wrapping the whole body in if: “if invalid, continue; otherwise do the real work.” That keeps the happy path less indented than a giant if wrapping everything.

4. Real-world example

Print only odd numbers from 1 to 9: loop all n, if n is even, continue; otherwise print. Same idea as if (n % 2 != 0) print, but shows continue clearly.

5. Java code example

public class ContinueDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
            if (i == 2) {
                continue;
            }
            System.out.print(i + " ");
        }
        System.out.println();
 
        int n = 0;
        while (n < 5) {
            n++;
            if (n % 2 == 0) {
                continue;
            }
            System.out.println("odd n after increment: " + n);
        }
 
        for (int k = 1; k <= 12; k++) {
            if (k % 3 == 0) {
                continue;
            }
            System.out.print(k + " ");
        }
        System.out.println(" (skipped multiples of 3)");
    }
}

First loop output: 0 1 3 4 5 — 2 is skipped.

Second block: prints lines for odd n after n++ (watch where you place increment vs continue—order matters).

6. Explanation of code

• for + continue: skips printing when i == 2; update i++ still runs, then condition.
• while: increment first so you do not stick on the same n; even values skip the print.
• Third loop: prints k unless k is divisible by 3.

7. Common mistakes

Mixing up break and continue — break leaves the whole loop; continue only skips to next iteration.

Infinite while with badly placed continue if you continue before updating the variable that should move toward exit.

Using continue to avoid tiny if negations when if (valid) { work } is clearer—style team preference.

8. Best practices

Prefer guard clauses (if (!ok) continue;) at the top of the loop body so the rest reads linearly.

Do not nest continue logic three levels deep—refactor.

Comment non-obvious continue — future you forgets why a lap was skipped.

9. Small practice task

Loop year from 2000 to 2020 inclusive. Print the year only if it is divisible by 4 but use continue to skip years divisible by 100 unless also divisible by 400 (classic leap-year rule). This is a small filter exercise—print one line per qualifying leap year.

Beginner tip

Trace while + continue on paper with a column for n before body, after n++, after continue jump. One wrong line order changes everything.