Before understanding the concept of loops, let's understand the problem without them. In the following program, we repeatedly use the same line of code n times, causing the length of the code to increase.
// C program to illustrate the concept of loops
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
printf("Lit Mentor\n");
return 0;
}
A loop is a fundamental control structure in programming that allows a set of instructions or a block of code to be executed repeatedly as long as a specific condition is true or for a predetermined number of iterations. Loops are used to automate repetitive tasks and make code more efficient.
Loops are an essential part of programming and are used to perform tasks like iterating over data structures (e.g., arrays), performing calculations, reading data from external sources, and many other tasks where repetition is required to accomplish a specific goal. They help reduce redundancy and make programs more concise and maintainable.
In C programming, there are three main types of loops that are commonly used to control the flow of a program and execute a block of code repeatedly until a certain condition is met. These loop types are: