do while loop in C

In C, the do-while loop is a control flow statement that allows you to repeatedly execute a block of code as long as a certain condition is true. The syntax of the do-while loop in C is as follows:

do {
   // Code to be executed
} while (condition);

Here’s how the do-while loop works:

  1. The code block within the do { ... } braces is executed first.
  2. After the code block is executed, the condition in the while statement is evaluated.
  3. If the condition is true, the loop continues to the next iteration, and the code block is executed again.
  4. If the condition is false, the loop terminates, and program execution continues with the next statement after the do-while loop.

Here’s an example that demonstrates the usage of a do-while loop:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
   int count = 0;

   do {
      printf("Count: %d\n", count);
      count++;
   } while (count < 5);

   return 0;
}

In this example, the loop will execute the code block at least once, regardless of the initial value of count. The program will output the value of count and increment it by 1 in each iteration. The loop will continue as long as count is less than 5. The output will be:

Count: 0
Count: 1
Count: 2
Count: 3
Count: 4

After count becomes 5, the condition count < 5 evaluates to false, and the loop terminates.

Note that the do-while loop guarantees the execution of the code block at least once, unlike the while loop, which checks the condition before the first iteration.

do while loop syntax:

The syntax for the do-while loop in C is as follows:

do {
   // Code to be executed
} while (condition);

Let’s break down the syntax:

  1. The do keyword is used to indicate the start of the do-while loop.
  2. The code block enclosed within the curly braces { } represents the body of the loop. It contains the statements that will be executed repeatedly.
  3. The while keyword is followed by a condition enclosed within parentheses ( ). This condition determines whether the loop should continue or terminate.
  4. The semicolon ; at the end of the do-while statement is necessary to terminate the loop construct.

Here’s an example that demonstrates the syntax of the do-while loop:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
   int i = 0;

   do {
      printf("%d\n", i);
      i++;
   } while (i < 5);

   return 0;
}

In this example, the loop will execute the code block at least once, regardless of the initial value of i. The program will output the value of i and increment it by 1 in each iteration. The loop will continue as long as i is less than 5. The output will be:

0
1
2
3
4

After i becomes 5, the condition i < 5 evaluates to false, and the loop terminates.

Flowchart of do while loop:

Here’s a simple flowchart representing the control flow of a do-while loop:

+--------------+
|   Start      |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|   Initialize |
|   variables  |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|   Execute    |
|   code       |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|  Check       |
|  condition   |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|  Condition   |
|  is true     |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|  Repeat      |
|  execution   |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|  Check       |
|  condition   |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|  Condition   |
|  is false    |
+--------------+
       |
       V
+--------------+
|   End        |
+--------------+

Explanation:

  1. The flowchart starts with the “Start” symbol.
  2. The next step is to initialize any variables required for the loop.
  3. The code block within the loop is executed unconditionally for the first iteration.
  4. After executing the code block, the condition is checked.
  5. If the condition is true, the execution repeats, and the code block is executed again.
  6. After each iteration, the condition is checked again.
  7. If the condition is false, the loop terminates, and the control flows to the “End” symbol.
  8. The flowchart ends at the “End” symbol.

Please note that the flowchart is a general representation and may not include specific details of the code or the exact conditions used in the loop.

do while example:

Certainly! Here’s an example of a do-while loop in C that calculates the factorial of a given number:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
   int number, factorial = 1;

   printf("Enter a positive integer: ");
   scanf("%d", &number);

   if (number < 0) {
      printf("Error: Factorial is undefined for negative numbers.\n");
   } else {
      do {
         factorial *= number;
         number--;
      } while (number > 0);

      printf("Factorial: %d\n", factorial);
   }

   return 0;
}

In this example, the program prompts the user to enter a positive integer. The do-while loop calculates the factorial of the input number. Here’s how it works:

  1. The user enters a positive integer.
  2. The program checks if the number is negative. If so, it displays an error message indicating that the factorial is undefined for negative numbers.
  3. If the number is not negative, the do-while loop is executed.
  4. The factorial variable is initialized to 1.
  5. The code block within the loop multiplies factorial by number and then decrements number by 1.
  6. The loop continues as long as number is greater than 0.
  7. Once number becomes 0, the loop terminates.
  8. The program outputs the calculated factorial value.

For example, if the user enters 5, the program calculates the factorial as 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 120 and outputs “Factorial: 120” to the console.

Infinitive do while loop:

An infinite do-while loop is a loop that continues executing indefinitely until a specific condition is met or until the program is interrupted externally (e.g., by pressing Ctrl+C). To create an infinite do-while loop, you can simply omit the condition in the while statement.

Here’s an example of an infinite do-while loop that prints “Hello, world!” repeatedly:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
   do {
      printf("Hello, world!\n");
   } while (1);

   return 0;
}

In this example, the do-while loop will execute the code block, which prints “Hello, world!”, and then continue to the next iteration unconditionally because the condition is always true (1 is considered as true in C). Therefore, the loop becomes an infinite loop, repeatedly printing “Hello, world!” until the program is terminated externally.

Please note that executing an infinite loop may lead to undesirable consequences if not handled properly. It is crucial to have a way to break out of the loop, either by incorporating a break condition within the loop or by using external interrupts or signals to terminate the program.