What is for loop in java and how to implement it?

Dhruv Pandey
Edureka
Published in
5 min readAug 20, 2019

While programming, if a situation arises where you specifically know how many times you want to iterate a particular block of statements in your code, go for a “for” loop. In this article let’s learn about how to implement for loop in Java Programming Language.

The topics covered in this article are as follows:

  • What is for loop?
  • Flow diagram
  • Syntax
  • Example of for loop
  • Java nested for loop
  • Example of Java nested for loop
  • Pyramid example: Case 1
  • Pyramid example: Case 2

Let’s begin!

What is for loop?

Programmers usually use loops to execute a set of statements. the loop is used when they need to iterate a part of the programs multiple times. It is particularly used in cases where the number of iterations is fixed!

For a better understanding, let me give you a pictorial representation!

Flow diagram

Here, after initialization, the condition that you have assigned in the code is scanned, in case the condition is true, it would increment/decrement (according to your code) the value, and again iterate the code according to the condition that you have assigned. But, if your condition is false, it will exit the loop.

After this theoretical explanation, let me show you the syntax of the for loop!

Syntax

for (statement 1; statement 2; statement 3) {
// code block to be executed
}

The syntax is pretty simple. It goes as follows
Statement 1: condition before the code block is executed
Statement 2: specifies the condition for execution of the code
Statement 3: condition once the code has been executed

To make things clearer, let us implement the above-explained syntax in Java code.

Example of for loop

The code written below depicts how for loop is implemented in Java Language

public class MyClass {
{
public static void main(String[] args) {
{for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
System.out.println(i);
}
}
}}

I have taken a simple code to get you all acquainted with the concept of for loop. Inside the for loop, there are three statements that I have talked about in the previous segment. I hope you can now relate to them easily!

  • Firstly, Int i=0 is the initialization of an integer variable whose value has been assigned to 0.
  • Secondly, i<5 is the condition that I have applied in my code
  • Thirdly, i++, means that I want the value of my variable to be incremented.

After understanding the working of for loop, let me take you to another concept, that is Java nested for loop!

Java nested for loop

If you have a for loop inside a for loop, you have encountered a Java nested for loop. The inner loop executes completely when the outer loop executes.

I am presenting an example to show you the working of a Java nested for loop.

Example

A Java code for a nested for loop:

public class Example{
public static void main(String[] args) {
for(int i=1;i<=3;i++){
for(int j=1;j<=3;j++){
System.out.println(i+" "+j);
}
}
}
}

Output:
1 1
1 2
1 3
2 1
2 2
2 3
3 1
3 2
3 3

Now that you have understood the concept of a nested for loop, let me show you a very famous example that you might have heard of! The pyramid examples!

Pyramid Example: Case 1

public class PyramidExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
for(int j=1;j<=i;j++){
System.out.print("* ");
}
System.out.println();//new line
}
}
}

Output:

*
* *
* * *
* * * *
* * * * *

Moving on with the next example.

Pyramid Example: Case 2

package MyPackage;
public class Demo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int term=6;
for(int i=1;i<=term;i++){ for(int j=term;j>=i;j--){
System.out.print("* ");
}
System.out.println();//new line
}
}
}

Output:

* * * *
* * * *
* * *
* *
*

I am sure that you would be familiar with these two patterns.

Thus we have come to an end of this article. If you wish to learn more, check out Java Training by Edureka, a trusted online learning company. Edureka’s Java J2EE and SOA training and certification course are designed to train you for both core and advanced Java concepts along with various Java frameworks like Hibernate & Spring.

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Do look out for other articles in this series that will explain the various other aspects of Java.

1. Object Oriented Programming

2. Inheritance in Java

3. Polymorphism in Java

4. Abstraction in Java

5. Java String

6. Java Array

7. Java Collections

8. Java Threads

9. Introduction to Java Servlets

10. Servlet and JSP Tutorial

11. Exception Handling in Java

12. Java Tutorial

13. Java Interview Questions

14. Java Programs

15. Kotlin vs Java

16. Dependency Injection Using Spring Boot

17. Comparable in Java

18. Top 10 Java frameworks

19. Java Reflection API

20. Top 30 Patterns in Java

21. Core Java Cheat Sheet

22. Socket Programming In Java

23. Java OOP Cheat Sheet

24. Annotations in Java

25. Library Management System Project in Java

26. Trees in Java

27. Machine Learning in Java

28. Top Data Structures & Algorithms in Java

29. Java Developer Skills

30. Top 55 Servlet Interview Questions

31. Top Java Projects

32. Java Strings Cheat Sheet

33. Nested Class in Java

34. Java Collections Interview Questions and Answers

35. How to Handle Deadlock in Java?

36. Top 50 Java Collections Interview Questions You Need to Know

37. What is the concept of String Pool in Java?

38. What is the difference between C, C++, and Java?

39. Palindrome in Java- How to check a number or string?

40. Top MVC Interview Questions and Answers You Need to Know

41. Top 10 Applications of Java Programming Language

42. Deadlock in Java

43. Square and Square Root in Java

44. Typecasting in Java

45. Operators in Java and its Types

46. Destructor in Java

47. Binary Search in Java

48. MVC Architecture in Java

49. Hibernate Interview Questions And Answers

Originally published at https://www.edureka.co on August 20, 2019.

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