Break Statement in Java

In this tutorial, we will learn about the break statement in Java. We will cover the basics of using the break statement to exit loops and switch statements.

What is a Break Statement

A break statement is used to terminate the execution of a loop or switch statement. When a break statement is encountered, control is transferred to the statement immediately following the loop or switch.

Syntax

The syntax for the break statement in Java is:

break;

The break statement can be used in for, while, do-while loops, and switch statements to exit the current loop or switch block prematurely.


Example 1: Exiting a For Loop Early

  1. Declare an integer variable i.
  2. Use a for loop to iterate from 1 to 10.
  3. Inside the loop, use an if statement to check if i is equal to 5.
  4. If the condition is true, use a break statement to exit the loop.
  5. Print the value of i.

Java Program

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
            if (i == 5) {
                break;
            }
            System.out.print(i + " ");
        }
    }
}

Output

1 2 3 4

Example 2: Exiting a While Loop Early

  1. Declare an integer variable i and initialize it to 1.
  2. Use a while loop to iterate while i is less than or equal to 10.
  3. Inside the loop, use an if statement to check if i is equal to 5.
  4. If the condition is true, use a break statement to exit the loop.
  5. Print the value of i.

Java Program

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int i = 1;
        while (i <= 10) {
            if (i == 5) {
                break;
            }
            System.out.print(i + " ");
            i++;
        }
    }
}

Output

1 2 3 4

Example 3: Exiting a Switch Statement

  1. Declare an integer variable num and assign a value to it.
  2. Use a switch statement to check the value of num.
  3. Use a case statement for different values of num.
  4. Inside each case, use a break statement to exit the switch statement after the matching case block is executed.
  5. Print a message indicating the value of num.

Java Program

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int num = 2;
        switch (num) {
            case 1:
                System.out.println("Number is 1");
                break;
            case 2:
                System.out.println("Number is 2");
                break;
            case 3:
                System.out.println("Number is 3");
                break;
            default:
                System.out.println("Number is not 1, 2, or 3");
        }
    }
}

Output

Number is 2