GNG1106

Fundamentals of Engineering Computation

Lecture 6

Instructor: Mohammad Al Ridhawi

University of Ottawa

Winter 2025

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In-Class Exercise: Go To Brightspace

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Outline

1 Loops

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 Loops

Loops

It is often required that certain instructions are repeated many

times, for example, in the following computation tasks.
1 Compute the sum 1 + 2 + 3 + . . . + 100.
2 Find the largest number in an array of 100 numbers.
3 Keep asking the user to enter a value until the entered value
becomes invalid.
The number of repetition rounds may be
known to the programmer, as in Examples 1 and 2, or
unknown to the programmer, as in Example 3
There are three ways to implement such “repetitions”, knows as
loops:
for-loop
while-loop
do-while-loop
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 Loops

for-loop
for (initializeCounter; S; modifyCounter)
DoX;

initializeCounter (although syntactically allowed to be any C

instruction) is typically a statement that assigns an initial value to
a (usually integer-typed) variable which serves as the counter.
S is a logical expression that usually (although not necessarily)
involves the value of the counter.
modifyCounter (although also allowed to be any C instruction) is
typically a statement that modifies the value of the counter.
DoX is the code that is to be executed repeatedly. DoX is allowed to
contain multiple statements, in which case the block of code needs
to be enclosed by a pair of curly brackets {}.
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 Loops

Execute InitializeCounter;

FALSE is S
True?

TRUE
Execute DoX;

Execute modifyCounter;

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 Loops

Trace This Code!

int i, x=0;

i=0;
int i, x=0;
for (i=0; i<3; i++)
x=x+i+2;
printf("%d\n", x);
FALSE
i<3?

TRUE
i++ here is the same as x=x+i+2;
i=i+1, i.e., increasing i
i++;
by 1.

printf("%d\n", x);

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 Loops

for (initializeCounter; S; modifyCounter)

DoX;

“DoX” is sometimes called the “body” of the loop.

After “for (initializeCounter; S; modifyCounter)”, there is
no semi-colon “; ”
If you do include a semi-colon there, the compiler won’t complain!
The compiler simply regards the loop as having an empty body, and
takes “DoX” as the statement after the for-loop. This of course
won’t implement the desired repetition.
The most common/useful form of “for (initializeCounter; S;
modifyCounter)” is “for (j=0; j<M; j++)”, which repeats the
loop body exactly M times.

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 Loops

Write a Program

Write a program, using a for-loop, that computes 1+2+3 + ... + N

for an N value entered by the user.
print the accumulated sum in each iteration

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 Loops

Coding Demonstration

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 Loops

while-loop

while (S)
DoX;

S is a logical expression; no semi-colon after while(S).

DoX is the code to be executed repeatedly.
When DoX contains more than one statements, the block of code
must be enclosed by a pair of curly brackets { }.
The program enters the loop if S is TRUE, and repeats DoX until S
evaluates to FALSE.
Before using the while loop, additional code is usually required for
the program to enter the loop (i.e., to start repetition).
Inside DoX, something needs to be done for S to eventually
evaluate to FALSE so that the program can exit from the loop.
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 Loops

FALSE is S
True?

TRUE
Execute DoX;

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 Loops

The similarity between for-loop and while-loop is that in both

cases, the condition (“is S True”) is checked before the program
enters the loop (“pre-tested”).
Comparing with while-loop, for-loop offers more rigid structure to
control the repetition of loop body. Whereas in while-loop, all
design logic is left for the programmer.
Everything that can be implemented with for-loop can be
implemented with while-loop.

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 Loops

int i, x=0;
int i, x=0;
i=0; for (i=0; i<3; i++)
x=x+i+2;
printf("%d\n", x);

FALSE
i<3? int i, x=0;
i=0;
TRUE while (i<3)
x=x+i+2; {
x=x+i+2;
i++; i++;
}
printf("%d\n", x);
printf("%d\n", x);

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 Loops

Definite while-loop

A definite while-loop is a while-loop in which the number of

repetitions is known to the programmer (e.g., previous example).
A definite while-loop is typically controlled by a counter, and the
following is required for the loop to execute correctly.
The counter should be initialized before the loop.
There is a statement in the loop body DoX that modifies the value of
the counter.
The logical expression S (which tests against the counter) should
evaluate to TRUE initially to allow the program to enter the loop
and evaluate to FALSE after the desired number of repetitions.

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 Loops

Indefinite while-loop

An indefinite while-loop is a while-loop in which the number of

repetitions is unknown to the programmer.
An indefinite while loop is typically controlled by a “sentinel”,
(i.e., a variable not necessary serving as a counter) and the
following is required for the loop is to execute correctly.
The sentinel should be initialized before the loop.
The loop body DoX includes a mechanism that modifies the value of
the sentinel.
The logical expression S (which tests against the setinel) should
evaluate to TRUE initially to allow the program to enter the loop
and and evaluate to FALSE to allow the program exit from the loop.

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 Loops

An Example of Indefinite while-loop

int sentinel;
sentinel = 1;
while (sentinel != -1)
{
printf("Enter a value ( -1 to exit the
loop)\n");
scanf("%d", &sentinel);
}

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 Loops

Write a Program

Write a program, using a while-loop, that computes 1+2+3 + ...

+ N for an N value entered by the user. Print the accumulated
sum in each iteration.
Re-write the “City Hall” program, using a while-loop, to allow
the program to prompt the user again until a valid option is
entered.
Re-write the “toss a die” program, using a while-loop, to allow
the user to keep guessing until he gets the die value.

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 Loops

Coding Demonstration

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