FCDS

Programming I

Lecture 6: Loops (Part II)

 Today’s Lecture

• Fencepost Loop
• Nested for loops
• while and do-while loops
• Sentinel (indefinite) loops
 A deceptive problem...
• Write code that prints each number from 1 to 5,
separated by commas.

should print:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
 Flawed solutions
• for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
System.out.print(i + ", ");
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line of output

– Output: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

• for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {

System.out.print(", " + i);
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line of output
– Output: , 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
 Fence post analogy
• We print n numbers but need only n - 1 commas.
• Similar to building a fence with wires separated by
posts:
– If we use a flawed algorithm that repeatedly places a
post + wire, the last post will have an extra dangling
wire.

for (length of fence) {

place a post.
place some wire.
}
 Fencepost loop
• Add a statement outside the loop to place the initial
"post."
– Also called a fencepost loop or a "loop-and-a-half"
solution.

place a post.
for (length of fence - 1) {
place some wire.
place a post.
}
 Fencepost method solution
System.out.print(1);
for (int i = 2; i <= max; i++) {
System.out.print(", " + i);
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line

• Alternate solution: Either first or last "post" can be taken out:

for (int i = 1; i <= max - 1; i++) {
System.out.print(i + ", ");
}
System.out.println(max); // to end the line
Nested for loops
 Nested loops
• nested loop: A loop placed inside another loop.
for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
for (int j = 1; j <= 10; j++) {
System.out.print("*");
}
System.out.println(); // to end the line
}

• Output:
Outer loop inner loop
i=1 j goes from 1 to 10
* * * * * * * * ** i=2 j goes from 1 to 10
* * * * * * * * ** i=3 j goes from 1 to 10
* * * * * * * * **
* * * * * * * * ** i=4 j goes from 1 to 10
* * * * * * * * ** i=5 j goes from 1 to 10
i=6 <=5? No then done

• The outer loop repeats 5 times; the inner one 10 times.

 Nested for loop exercise
• What is the output of the following nested for
loops?
for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
for (int j = 1; j <= i; j++) {
System.out.print("*");
}
System.out.println();
}

• Output: Outer loop

i=1 j
inner loop
goes from 1 to 1
*
** i=2 j goes from 1 to 2
*** i=3 j goes from 1 to 3
****
***** i=4 j goes from 1 to 4
i=5 j goes from 1 to 5
i=6 <=5? No then done
 Common errors
• Both of the following sets of code produce infinite
loops:
for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
for (int j = 1; i <= 10; j++) {
System.out.print("*");
}
System.out.println();
}

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {

for (int j = 1; j <= 10; i++) {
System.out.print("*");
}
System.out.println();
}
 Loop (Iteration) Statements
• Loop statements allow repeatedly executing a
statement or a sequence of statements one or
more times as long as some condition remains true.

• There are three loop statements in Java

– for loop statement
– while loop statement
– do-while loop statement
while loops
 Categories of loops
• Count-controlled (definite) loop: Executes a known number of
times.
– The for loops we have seen are definite loops.
• Print "hello" 10 times.
• Find all the prime numbers up to an integer n.
• Print each odd number between 5 and 127.

• Sentinel-controlled (indefinite) loop: One where the number

of times its body repeats is not known in advance.
• Prompt the user until they type a negative number.
• Print random numbers until a prime number is printed.
• Repeat until the user types "q" to quit.
 The while loop
• while loop: Repeatedly executes its
body as long as a logical test is true.
while (test) {
statement(s);
}

• Example:
int num = 1; // initialization
while (num <= 200) { // test
System.out.print(num + " ");
num = num * 2; // update
}
// output: 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4;

while (count > 0)

OUTPUT
{
System.out.println(count);

count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 4

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count);

count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 4

while (count > 0) TRUE

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count);

count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 4

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4

count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 3

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4

count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 3

while (count > 0) TRUE

OUTPUT
{ 4
System.out.println(count);

count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 3

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 2

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 2

while (count > 0) TRUE

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 2

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
2
count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 1

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
2
count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 1

while (count > 0) TRUE

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
2
count -- ;
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 1

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
2
count -- ; 1
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 0

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
2
count -- ; 1
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 0

while (count > 0) FALSE

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
2
count -- ; 1
}
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 The while Count-controlled Loop
count
int count ;

count = 4; 0

while (count > 0)

{ OUTPUT
System.out.println(count); 4
3
2
count -- ; 1
} Done
System.out.print( " Done " ) ;
 Example while loop
// finds the first factor of 91, other
than 1
int n = 91;
int factor = 2; Initialization
while (n % factor != 0) { Test
factor++; Update
}
System.out.println("First factor is " +
factor);
// output: First factor is 7

– while is better than for because we don't know how

many times we will need to increment to find the factor.
 Two Categories of Loops
count-controlled (definite) loops
repeat a specified number of times

sentinel-controlled (indefinite) loops

some condition within the loop body changes and
this causes the repeating to stop
 Sentinel values
• sentinel: A value that signals the end of user input.
– sentinel loop: Repeats until a sentinel value is seen.

• Example: Write a program that prompts the user for

numbers until the user types -1, then outputs their
sum and their average.
– (In this case, -1 is the sentinel value.)
Enter a number (-1 to quit): 10
Enter a number (-1 to quit): 20
Enter a number (-1 to quit): 30
Enter a number (-1 to quit): -1
The sum is 60
The average is 20
 Sentinel loop solution
Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in);
int sum = 0;
int count = 0;
// pull one prompt/read ("post") out of the loop
System.out.print("Enter a number (-1 to quit): ");
int number = console.nextInt();

while (number != -1) {

sum = sum + number; // moved to top of loop
count++;
System.out.print("Enter a number (-1 to quit): ");
number = console.nextInt();
}

System.out.println("The sum is " + sum);

System.out.println("The average is " + sum/count);
 "Forever" loop with break
• break statement: Immediately exits a loop.
– Can be used to write a loop whose test is in the middle.
– Such loops are often called "forever" loops because their header's
boolean test is often changed to a trivial true.
• "forever" loop, general syntax:
while (true) {
<statement(s)> ;

if (<condition>) {
break;
}
<statement(s)> ;
}

• Can also be used to end the loop in the middle for any other
condition other than the loop test
 The do/while loop
• do/while loop: Performs its test at the end of each repetition.
– Guarantees that the loop's {} body will run at least once.

do {
statement(s);
} while (test);

// Example: prompt until correct password is typed

String phrase;
do {
System.out.print("Type your password: ");
phrase = console.next();
} while (!phrase.equals("abracadabra"));
 do/while question
• Rolls two dice until a sum of 7 is reached
2 + 4 = 6
3 + 5 = 8
5 + 6 = 11
1 + 1 = 2
4 + 3 = 7
You won after 5 tries!
 do/while answer
// Rolls two dice until a sum of 7 is reached.
public class Dice {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int tries = 0;
int sum;

do {
int roll1 = 1 + (int) (Math.random() * 6); // one roll
int roll2 = 1 + (int) (Math.random() * 6);
sum = roll1 + roll2;
System.out.println(roll1 + " + " + roll2 + " = " + sum);
tries++;
} while (sum != 7);

System.out.println("You won after " + tries + " tries!");

}
 Do-While Loop vs. While Loop

• POST-TEST loop • PRE-TEST loop

• The looping condition • The looping condition
is tested after is tested before
executing the loop executing the loop
body. body.
• Loop body is always • Loop body may not be
executed at least executed at all.
once.
 break statement (revisited)
• We previously saw the break statement used in switch
statements and loops.
• The break statement will cause the flow of execution to
break out of the current loop.
• If loops are nested, break will cause control to leave the
inner-most loop.
int x = 0;

while ( x < 10)

{
if (y > 100)
break;
[...]
x = x + 1;
}
 continue statement
• continue is similar to break.
• continue causes execution to go back to the loop test
condition. If the test condition is true, the loop will be
executed again. If not, the loop body is exited.

int x = 0;

while ( x < 10)

{
if (y > 100)
continue;
...
x = x + 1;
}
 Example - continue
// Compute the average of the odd numbers from 1 to n and
print them

public class ContinueEx {

public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner console = new Scanner(System.in)
double sum = 0.0;
int n = console.nextInt();
for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
if(i%2 == 0)
continue;
System.out.println(i);
sum = sum + i;
}
System.out.println(sum / n);
}
}