Introduction
The execution of a Java program is done in sequential order. Looping statements like for, while, and do-while are used to execute a set of statements repeatedly. If such an execution were to continue, it would go on forever. This can be prevented by adding appropriate terminating conditions to the loop or by implementing jump statements.
A jump statement in Java helps transfer the control of a program from one line of the code to another and skip the ones in between.
Jumping statements are control statements that move program execution from one location to another. Jump statements are used to shift program control unconditionally from one location to another within the program. Jump statements are typically used to abruptly end a loop or switch-case.
Types of Jump Statements in Java
- Break Statement
- Continue Statement
- Return Statement
1. Break Statement
Break statements in Java is used in three ways:
Using Break Statement to exit a loop
In Java, the break statement is used to exit loops prematurely, similar to how it's used in other programming languages. You can use it within for, while, and do-while loops to stop the loop's execution when a specific condition is met. The syntax for using the break statement in Java is as follows:
while loop:
- java
java
while (condition) {
// Code inside the loop
if (condition) {
break;
// break keyword
}
// Code continues inside the loop
}
// Code after the loop
for loop:
- java
java
for (int i = 0; i < limit; i++) {
// Code inside the loop
if (condition) {
break;
// break keyword
}
// Code continues inside the loop
}
// Code after the loopUse Break as a form of goto
In Java, the break statement is not directly used as a form of goto. The break statement is specifically designed to exit from loops prematurely, and it cannot be used to jump to arbitrary locations in the code like a traditional goto statement.
The goto statement is unavailable in Java because it can lead to confusing and hard-to-maintain code. Instead, Java encourages using structured programming constructs like loops, conditional statements, and methods to control the flow of the program.
- java
java
boolean conditionMatch = false;
while (Condition) {
// Code inside the loop
if (conditionToBreak) {
conditionMatch = true;
break;
}
// Code continues inside the loop
}
// Code after the loop
if (conditionMatch ) {
// Code to be executed after the "goto" point
}Use Break In a Switch case
In Java, we can use the break statement within a switch case to exit the switch block and prevent fall-through to subsequent cases. Here's an example:
- Java
Java
class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int day = 3;
switch (day) {
case 1:
System.out.println("Monday");
break; // Exit switch after executing case 1
case 2:
System.out.println("Tuesday");
break; // Exit switch after executing case 2
case 3:
System.out.println("Wednesday");
break; // Exit switch after executing case 3
case 4:
System.out.println("Thursday");
break; // Exit switch after executing case 4
case 5:
System.out.println("Friday");
break; // Exit switch after executing case 5
default:
System.out.println("Weekend");
break; // Exit switch for any other value
}
}
}
Output:
Wednesday
Explanation:
In this example, the break statement is used after each case to exit the switch block. This prevents the flow from falling through to subsequent cases. If day is, for example, 3, only "Wednesday" will be printed, and the switch statement will terminate after that case.
2. Continue Statement
Continue is a jump statement used when a loop’s current iteration is to be skipped. It allows the control to temporarily exit the loop and ignore the remaining statements that follow. After this jump, the control immediately moves with the next iteration of the same loop.
- java
java
public class Main
{
public static void main(String args[])
{
for (int i = 10; i > 0 ;i--)
{
if (i%2 == 0)
continue;
System.out.print(i+ " ");
}
}
}Output:
9 7 5 3 1
Explanation:
This Java code prints odd numbers in reverse order from 9 to 1 using a for loop. The continue statement skips even numbers.
3. Return Statement
The return keyword is used to transfer a program’s control from a method back to the one that called it. Since the control jumps from one part of the program to another, return is also a jump statement.
It can be in Two forms:
1. Return with a value
return expression;
Where expression is the value or result that the function is returning.
2. Return without a value
return;
It is without an accompanying expression.
- java
java
public class Main
{
public static int add(int a, int b){
int sum = a+b;
return sum;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
int x = 5, y = 10;
int sum = add(x, y);
System.out.println("Sum of a and b: " + sum);
}
}Output:
Sum of a and b: 15
Explanation:
This Java code defines a program with a function add() that calculates the sum of two integers. In the main method, it initializes x and y, calls add, and prints the sum.
Try it by yourself on online java compiler.
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