Control structures are fundamental building blocks in programming that dictate the flow of execution in a program. They allow developers to make decisions, repeat actions, and manage program logic efficiently. Here's an overview of common control structures:

Conditional Statements

Conditional statements execute code based on whether a condition is true or false.

  • If-Else: Executes a block of code if a condition is met; otherwise, it runs an alternative block.
  • Switch Case: Evaluates an expression and executes different blocks of code depending on the value.
  • Ternary Operator: A concise way to write simple if-else logic.
if_statement
switch_case

Loop Structures

Loops enable the repeated execution of a block of code.

  • For Loop: Iterates over a sequence or a range of numbers.
  • While Loop: Repeats as long as a condition is true.
  • Do-While Loop: Executes at least once before checking the condition.
for_loop
while_loop

Jump Statements

Jump statements alter the normal flow of program execution.

  • Break: Exits a loop or switch statement immediately.
  • Continue: Skips the current iteration of a loop.
  • Return: Exits a function and optionally returns a value.
jump_statements

For a deeper dive into programming fundamentals, check out our Programming Basics Guide.