Table of contents
1.
Introduction 
2.
Loops in Linux 
2.1.
Until
2.1.1.
Syntax
2.1.2.
Example code 
2.1.3.
Output
2.2.
While
2.2.1.
Syntax
2.2.2.
Example code 
2.2.3.
Output
2.3.
For
2.3.1.
Syntax
2.3.2.
Example code 
2.3.3.
Output
3.
Altering Loops
3.1.
Infinite loops  
3.2.
Break 
3.2.1.
Syntax
3.2.2.
Code 
3.2.3.
Output
3.3.
Continue  
3.3.1.
Syntax
3.3.2.
Code 
3.3.3.
Output
4.
Frequently asked questions 
4.1.
What is shell scripting?
4.2.
What are loops?
4.3.
What is the continue statement and how is it used for?  
4.4.
What is a break statement and how is it used for? 
4.5.
What do you mean by shell script? 
5.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
Easy

Linux - Shell Loop Control

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Introduction 

We will discuss shell loop control in this blog. If you have created a particular loop and want to interrupt that loop at some given condition, then we have to know about shell loop control. 

We will learn the two statements used to control shell loops in this blog, i.e., break Statement and continue Statement. 

Introduction image

Before understanding the shell loop control statements, let's first about the loops.  

Loops in Linux 

The following three keywords are used to shell loop in the Unix/Linux shell: 

  1. Until 
  2. While
  3. for

Until

The statements in the until loop are executed until the command in the condition becomes true.

Syntax

until command
do
    Statement(s) to be executed
done


Example code 

temp=4

until [ $temp -lt 1 ]   # temp < 1
do
  echo $temp  # print temp
  temp=`expr $temp - 1`   # temp = temp - 1
done


Output

Until Output

While

The while loop's statements are carried out until the condition's command evaluates to false.

Syntax

while command
do
    Statement(s) to be executed
done


Example code 

temp=4

while [ $temp -lt 1 ]   # temp < 1
do
  echo $temp  # print temp
  temp=`expr $temp - 1`   # temp = temp - 1
done


Output

While output

For

The while loop's statements are carried out until the condition's command evaluates to false.

Syntax

for var in word1 word2 ... wordN
do
  Statement(s) to be executed
done


Example code 

for a in 4 3 2 1
do
echo $a # print a
done


Output

For output

Altering Loops

Infinite loops  

Each shell loop has a set amount of time before it exits, depending on whether the condition is true or not.

A shell loop might go on indefinitely if the necessary condition is not satisfied. A loop that never stops running repeats itself an unlimited number of times. These loops are known as infinite loops for this reason.
 

temp=10
until [ $temp -lt 10 ]
do
  echo $temp
  temp=`expr $temp + 1`
done

 

Now, if we have to alter the infinite loops or if we want to break the loop after some particular condition, we will use keywords, i.e., break and continue. 

Break 

To end the loop, we use the break statement. All lines below the break are ignored while the line above break is executed. Next to the conclusion of the loop, execution begins on the following line. 

Syntax

To exit a loop, use the break Statement shown below.

break


Code 

for temp in 19 9 0 8 7 6 5 0 1 6 7 
do
    if [ $temp -eq 0 ]  # a == 0
    then
        break
    fi
    echo $temp
Done


Output

Break output

Explanation: As soon as we reach 0 in the given set, the break Statement will get executed, and the loop will come to an end, and before 0, we have 19 and 9, so it will get printed before breaking the loop. 

Continue  

While the break command causes the entire loop to quit, the continue statement only forces the current iteration of the loop.

The loop's iterations are ended using the continue statement. All lines below continue are ignored while the line above continues is executed. Execution then begins at the beginning of the loop's subsequent iteration.

Syntax

 

continue


Code 

for temp in 19 9 0 8 7 6 5 0 1 6 7 
do
    if [ $temp -eq 0 ]  # a == 0
    then
        continue
    fi
    echo $temp
Done


Output

Continue output

Explanation: Whenever we reach the 0, due to continuing, keyword 0 will not be printed; hence output does not contain any 0. 

Frequently asked questions 

What is shell scripting?

A set or sequence of UNIX commands written in a plain text file constitutes shell scripting. In shell scripting, we provide a list of UNIX commands, like a to-do list in a file to execute it rather than defining one job or command at a time.

What are loops?

Loops are when a section of the program or script is repeated either a predetermined number of times or until a specific condition is met. 

What is the continue statement and how is it used for?  

Continue is a keyword that is used to pass statements inside of the loop that hasn't yet been performed to return control to the beginning of the loop. Any loop in the program's code that encounters the keyword Continue sees control instantly transfer to the beginning of the loop. Continue is frequently connected to an if.

What is a break statement and how is it used for? 

We use the keyword break when we want to exit a loop immediately without waiting to return to the control command. The first Statement after a loop will automatically take control of the program when the keyword break is used inside any loop. An if is typically connected to a break.

What do you mean by shell script? 

As the name implies, a shell script is one created just for the shell. The script in this context refers to a computer language used to run programs. Simply put, it enables the execution of various commands entered into the shell. It generally aids in the development of intricate programs with conditional statements, loops, and functions. In comparison to building large programs, it is significantly faster and much easier to debug, and it can streamline routine automation procedures.

Conclusion

This blog discusses the blog about Linux-shell control, then we discuss how to declare loops in Linux, and then study the Linux loop control.

For Related Blogs, please refer to:

  1. Types of Unix Operating Systems
  2. Introduction to Linux Shell and Shell Scripting
  3. Ubuntu Operating System
     

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