Java Basics

A loop in Java is a programming construct that enables us to execute a block of code repeatedly until a specific condition is met. It provides a way to automate repetitive tasks, iterate over a collection of data, or perform a particular operation a certain number of times. Loops are essential in programming and facilitate the efficient and structured handling of repetitive tasks.

Note

In Java, there are several types of loops, each better suited for specific tasks. Throughout the next section, you will explore each of them and understand where and when it is best to use them.

Let's suppose we have a code fragment that needs to be executed five times. There are two ways to achieve this:

• Copy and paste the code multiple times.
• Use a loop.

Let's look at an example code to demonstrate the first approach to solving this task.

As we can see, we have completed the task and displayed the text on the screen five times. But what if the task is to display the text on the screen thousand times or even a million times? In such cases, we can use a for loop:

As you can see, with just three lines of code, we displayed the information on the screen five times. In the next chapter, we will delve deeper into how to correctly use the for loop and understand the meaning behind all those intimidating symbols.