Golang continue keyword

last modified May 7, 2025

This tutorial explains how to use the continue keyword in Go. We'll cover loop control basics with practical examples of skipping iterations.

The continue statement skips the current iteration of the innermost loop. It's used to bypass specific iterations when certain conditions are met.

In Go, continue can be used in for loops and with labels for more complex control flow. It helps optimize loops by avoiding unnecessary code.

Basic continue in a for loop

The simplest use of continue skips an iteration when a condition is met. This example demonstrates skipping odd numbers.

basic_continue.go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
        if i%2 != 0 {
            continue
        }
        fmt.Println(i)
    }
}

The loop prints only even numbers. When i is odd, continue skips the print statement and moves to the next iteration.

Continue in a nested loop

continue only affects the innermost loop. This example shows how it works in nested loop structures.

nested_continue.go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
        fmt.Printf("Outer loop iteration %d\n", i)
        
        for j := 0; j < 5; j++ {
            if j == 2 {
                continue
            }
            fmt.Printf("  Inner loop iteration %d\n", j)
        }
    }
}

The inner loop skips iteration when j equals 2, but the outer loop continues normally. The continue only affects the loop where it's placed.

Labeled continue statement

Go supports labeled continues to control outer loops. This powerful feature helps manage complex nested loops.

labeled_continue.go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
OuterLoop:
    for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
        for j := 0; j < 5; j++ {
            if i == 2 && j == 2 {
                continue OuterLoop
            }
            fmt.Printf("i=%d, j=%d\n", i, j)
        }
    }
}

The label OuterLoop: marks the outer loop. When executed, continue OuterLoop skips the current outer loop iteration.

Continue in a for-range loop

continue works similarly in range loops. This example processes a slice while skipping specific elements.

range_continue.go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    fruits := []string{"apple", "banana", "cherry", "date", "elderberry"}
    
    for index, fruit := range fruits {
        if len(fruit) < 5 {
            continue
        }
        fmt.Printf("%d: %s\n", index, fruit)
    }
}

The loop skips fruits with names shorter than 5 characters. The continue bypasses the print statement for these elements.

Practical example: Data filtering

This practical example demonstrates using continue to filter out invalid data points from processing.

filter_continue.go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    temperatures := []float64{22.5, -999, 18.3, -999, 25.7, 19.2}
    validCount := 0
    
    for _, temp := range temperatures {
        if temp == -999 {
            continue
        }
        fmt.Printf("Processing temperature: %.1f\n", temp)
        validCount++
    }
    
    fmt.Printf("Processed %d valid temperatures\n", validCount)
}

The loop skips invalid temperature readings (-999). The continue statement helps process only valid data points efficiently.

Continue with complex conditions

This example shows continue with more complex logical conditions to demonstrate its flexibility.

complex_continue.go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    for i := 1; i <= 20; i++ {
        if i%3 == 0 || i%5 == 0 {
            continue
        }
        fmt.Printf("%d ", i)
    }
    fmt.Println()
}

The loop skips numbers divisible by 3 or 5. The continue statement works with any boolean condition to control loop flow.

Continue vs break vs return

This example contrasts continue with other control flow statements to clarify their differences.

control_flow.go

package main

import "fmt"

func main() {
    fmt.Println("Continue example:")
    for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
        if i == 3 {
            continue
        }
        fmt.Println(i)
    }
    
    fmt.Println("\nBreak example:")
    for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
        if i == 3 {
            break
        }
        fmt.Println(i)
    }
    
    fmt.Println("\nReturn example:")
    for i := 0; i < 5; i++ {
        if i == 3 {
            return
        }
        fmt.Println(i)
    }
    
    fmt.Println("This won't print due to return")
}

continue skips to next iteration, break exits the loop, and return exits the entire function. Each serves different purposes.

Source

Go language specification

This tutorial covered the continue keyword in Go with practical examples of loop control in various scenarios.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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