What is an Iterative Control Structure?
An iterative control structure is a type of control structure that allows a program to repeat a set of statements a specified number of times — think of a loop, where you keep repeating a set of instructions until a condition is met.
When Iteration Is Needed
- Repeating a task a fixed number of times.
- Processing a list of items.
- Performing a calculation repeatedly.
Main Parts of a Loop
- Initialization: where the loop counter or variable is initialized, e.g.
int i = 0;. - Condition: the test that determines whether the loop should continue, e.g.
i < 10;. - Iteration: the code executed repeatedly while the condition is true, e.g.
System.out.println(i);. - Termination: where the loop ends and the program continues, e.g.
i++;.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages: saves time and effort, reduces code repetition, easy to maintain and modify.
Disadvantages: can be time-consuming for large iterations, and can be difficult to debug.
