Kotlin Unlabeled break

In Kotlin, the break statement is used to terminate the nearest enclosing loop, be it a for loop or a while loop. This is known as an "unlabeled break" because it doesn't refer to any specific label to determine which loop to exit from.

Let's explore how to use an unlabeled break in Kotlin with some examples.

1. Basic `break` in a Simple Loop

Imagine we're searching through an array of numbers, and we want to stop the search as soon as we find the number 5.

val numbers = arrayOf(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

for (num in numbers) {
    if (num == 5) {
        println("Found the number 5!")
        break
    }
    println("Checking number $num")
}

Here, when the number 5 is found, the break statement will terminate the for loop, and no numbers after 5 will be checked.

2. `break` in Nested Loops

In the case of nested loops, an unlabeled break will only terminate the innermost loop. Let's consider a 2D grid (represented by nested arrays), and we're looking for the value 5. Once we find it, we want to exit the inner loop:

val matrix = arrayOf(
    arrayOf(1, 2, 3),
    arrayOf(4, 5, 6),
    arrayOf(7, 8, 9)
)

for (row in matrix) {
    for (num in row) {
        if (num == 5) {
            println("Found the number 5!")
            break  // This will break out of the inner loop only
        }
        println("Checking number $num")
    }
}

In this example, after finding the number 5, the inner loop will be terminated, but the outer loop will continue to the next row.

3. Limitations of Unlabeled `break`

An unlabeled break can only break out of the nearest enclosing loop. If you want to break out of outer loops or specify which loop to exit in more complex control structures, you would need to use a labeled break.

Conclusion

The unlabeled break statement in Kotlin provides a straightforward way to exit from the closest loop. For more complex control flow where you might want to exit from outer loops or specific loops, Kotlin offers labeled breaks. The explicit nature of breaks in Kotlin helps in writing more readable and maintainable code.

How to break out of a loop in Kotlin:
- The break statement is used to terminate a loop prematurely.
```
for (i in 1..10) {
    if (i == 5) {
        break
    }
    println(i)
}
```
Kotlin loop control flow:
- The control flow within loops determines how the loop operates.
```
for (i in 1..5) {
    println(i)
}
```

Using break in Kotlin for loop:

Employ the break statement to exit a for loop.

for (i in 1..10) {
    if (i > 5) {
        break
    }
    println(i)
}

Kotlin continue statement:
- The continue statement skips the rest of the loop's code and moves to the next iteration.
```
for (i in 1..5) {
    if (i == 3) {
        continue
    }
    println(i)
}
```
Loop termination in Kotlin:
- Define conditions for loop termination to control when the loop should stop.
```
var i = 1
while (i <= 5) {
    println(i)
    i++
}
```

Breaking out of nested loops in Kotlin:

Use labels and the break statement to exit nested loops.

outer@ for (i in 1..3) {
    for (j in 1..3) {
        if (i * j > 4) {
            break@outer
        }
        println("$i * $j = ${i * j}")
    }
}

Kotlin Unlabeled break

1. Basic break in a Simple Loop

2. break in Nested Loops

3. Limitations of Unlabeled break

Conclusion

1. Basic `break` in a Simple Loop

2. `break` in Nested Loops

3. Limitations of Unlabeled `break`