Purpose of the "for" Loop in C programming

Purpose of the "for" Loop in C

The for loop in C is a control flow statement used for repeating a block of code a specific number of times. It is ideal for situations where the number of iterations is known beforehand, making it a powerful tool for iteration and automation in programs.

Syntax of the for Loop

for (initialization; condition; update) {
    // Code to be executed in each iteration
}

Explanation:

• initialization: Initializes the loop control variable. This step is executed once at the beginning of the loop.
• condition: A boolean expression that is evaluated before each iteration. The loop continues as long as this condition is true.
• update: Updates the loop control variable after each iteration. This step is executed at the end of each loop iteration.
• Code Block: The block of code enclosed in curly braces that is executed repeatedly for each iteration of the loop.

Example

Example: Printing Numbers from 1 to 5

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    // Using a for loop to print numbers from 1 to 5
    for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
        printf("Number: %d\\n", i);
    }

    return 0;
}

In this example:

• int i = 1: Initializes the loop control variable i to 1.
• i <= 5: The loop continues as long as i is less than or equal to 5.
• i++: Increments i by 1 after each iteration.
• The loop prints the value of i in each iteration, resulting in the numbers 1 through 5 being printed to the console.

Additional Notes

The for loop is versatile and can be used in various scenarios, including:

• Iterating over arrays or collections.
• Generating repeated patterns or sequences.
• Automating repetitive tasks within programs.

Note:
Ensure that the loop control variable is properly updated to avoid infinite loops. The condition should eventually become false to terminate the loop.