want to know about loops in easy way

how about posting this in the correct thread first?

welcome to DreamInCode by the way!! have fun here~

Loops contain a piece of code which the program will run depending on a certain condition. For example, you decide if you decide you want a cup of tea, you get one. If you don't want one, you don't get one.
This would be expressed as:


NOTE: That isn't actually genuine code

not actually a loop, just an if statement.
a loop is a command that has 2 main parts.
The LCV or loop control variable which is a viable that decides where the loop is and how many times it needs to repeat.
The Sentinel value, which is the final value for the LCV to reach before terminating.
ex.


This post has been edited by cdbitesky: 21 Mar, 2008 - 05:48 PM

lol, its funny to see how little people know about loops.

generally a loop is just what is sounds like. My favorite loop is this little bit of BASIC code:



Of course that loop is not very useful in most programs.

A loop is a bit of code the repeats. In a FULL LOOP you will have the following:
An initialization step
An exit condition.
An "increment" step
A loop block

A classic for loop tend to be a good example since it has all the parts:

for (initialize; condition; increment) {
loop block
}

so a loop in C might look like this:

Now most loops have all of these parts. They can be hidden away but they are normally there.

So, in the for loop I used 'i' as a LCV (loop control variable) as cdbitesky pointed out. Most loops have this variable, it is initialized in the initialization step, it is the one that is in the condition, and the one that changes in the "increment" step.

the increment step may or may not actually "increment" the variable -- the point is, that in this step the value of the variable changes (making it possible for the exit condition to exist).

so lets take another stupid loop, lets say that we have a function (mousePress()) which returns true if a mouse button has been pressed, else it returns false:



In this loop things are all hidden from us... the initialization step is actually just a logical idea that function mousePress() returns false while no key is pressed... the "increment" step is inside the function as well, its whatever mechanism changes the return value of the function when a mouse key is pressed. The condition is the only real visible step.

Not all loops actually have all the steps, some loops have multiple versions of some of the steps. Many loops will mix arround the order in which the steps occur (for example a while-loop vs. a do-while-loop...).

If you don't know what a loop is, you shouldn't be programming.

Where exactly should he start.
This forum isn't just for expert programmers.

It is one of the basic things that u should know. IMO, loop is still very easy to learn and it's not that hard to master it. if u really cant understand what loop is, then maybe programming isnt made for u.

maybe u should go google it and try learning on ur own before asking here. only when u have something u dont understand will u come here and ask other people. because asking 'what is a loop' is just like asking others to spoon-feed u. moreover, it's too general.

This post has been edited by red_4900: 23 Mar, 2008 - 07:24 PM