Go For Loops

In Go, the for loop is the only looping construct provided by the language. It’s versatile and efficient for executing a block of code multiple times, often with a unique value in each iteration. Each cycle through the loop is referred to as an iteration.

Syntax of a for Loop

The for loop in Go can include up to three statements:

for initialization; condition; increment {
   // code to execute during each iteration
}

• Initialization: This sets up the loop control variable.
• Condition: This evaluates before each iteration. If TRUE, the loop continues; if FALSE, the loop ends.
• Increment: This modifies the loop control variable after each iteration.

Note: These statements don’t need to be included within the loop header but must exist elsewhere in the code.

Example 1: Counting from 0 to 4

package main
import ("fmt")

func main() {
  for bikes := 0; bikes < 5; bikes++ {
    fmt.Println(bikes)
  }
}

Output:

0
1
2
3
4

Explanation:

1. Initialization: bikes := 0 sets the starting value to 0.
2. Condition: bikes < 5 ensures the loop runs as long as bikes is less than 5.
3. Increment: bikes++ increases the value of bikes by 1 in each iteration.

Example 2: Counting in Tens

package main
import ("fmt")

func main() {
  for motorcycles := 0; motorcycles <= 100; motorcycles += 10 {
    fmt.Println(motorcycles)
  }
}

Output:

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100

Explanation:

1. Initialization: motorcycles := 0 starts at 0.
2. Condition: motorcycles <= 100 keeps the loop running while motorcycles is less than or equal to 100.
3. Increment: motorcycles += 10 increases the value by 10 with each cycle.

Continue Statement

The continue statement skips the remainder of the current loop iteration and proceeds to the next iteration.

Example: Skipping a specific value (e.g., 3):

package main
import ("fmt")

func main() {
  for models := 0; models < 5; models++ {
    if models == 3 {
      continue
    }
    fmt.Println(models)
  }
}

Output:

0
1
2
4

Break Statement

The break statement halts the loop’s execution entirely.

Example: Terminating the loop when a condition is met:

package main
import ("fmt")

func main() {
  for brands := 0; brands < 5; brands++ {
    if brands == 3 {
      break
    }
    fmt.Println(brands)
  }
}

Output:

0
1
2

Nested Loops

Loops can be nested, meaning one loop is placed inside another. The inner loop runs completely during each iteration of the outer loop.

Example: Combining two lists, such as adjectives and motorcycle brands:

package main
import ("fmt")

func main() {
  adjectives := [2]string{"sleek", "powerful"}
  brands := [3]string{"Ducati", "Yamaha", "Honda"}
  for i := 0; i < len(adjectives); i++ {
    for j := 0; j < len(brands); j++ {
      fmt.Println(adjectives[i], brands[j])
    }
  }
}

Output:

sleek Ducati
sleek Yamaha
sleek Honda
powerful Ducati
powerful Yamaha
powerful Honda

Using the range Keyword

The range keyword provides a convenient way to iterate over elements in arrays, slices, or maps. It returns both the index and the value.

Syntax:

for index, value := range collection {
   // code to execute during each iteration
}

Example: Iterating through motorcycle brands:

package main
import ("fmt")

func main() {
  brands := [3]string{"Suzuki", "Honda", "Ducati"}
  for idx, val := range brands {
    fmt.Printf("%v\t%v\n", idx, val)
  }
}

Output:

0      Suzuki
1      Honda
2      Ducati

Additional Tips for range

• To ignore the index: for _, val := range brands { fmt.Println(val) } Output: Suzuki Honda Ducati
• To ignore the value: for idx, _ := range brands { fmt.Println(idx) } Output: 0 1 2