Python programming language provides following types of loops to handle looping requirements. Python provides three ways for executing the loops. While all the ways provide similar basic functionality, they differ in their syntax and condition checking time.
- While Loop:
2. In python, while loop is used to execute a block of statements repeatedly until a given a condition is satisfied. And when the condition becomes false, the line immediately after the loop in program is executed.
Syntax :
while expression:
statement(s)
3. All the statements indented by the same number of character spaces after a programming construct are considered to be part of a single block of code. Python uses indentation as its method of grouping statements.
Example:
# Python program to illustrate
# while loop
count = 0
while (count < 3):
count = count + 1
print("Hello prutor")
Output:
Hello prutor
Hello prutor
Hello prutor
Using else statement with while loops: As discussed above, while loop executes the block until a condition is satisfied. When the condition becomes false, the statement immediately after the loop is executed.
The else clause is only executed when your while condition becomes false. If you break out of the loop, or if an exception is raised, it won’t be executed.
If else like this:
if condition:
# execute these statements
else:
# execute these statements
and while loop like this are similar
while condition:
# execute these statements
else:
# execute these statements
#Python program to illustrate
# combining else with while
count = 0
while (count < 3):
count = count + 1
print("Hello prutor")
else:
print("In Else Block")
Output:
Hello prutor
Hello prutor
Hello prutor
In Else Block
Single statement while block: Just like the if block, if the while block consists of a single statement the we can declare the entire loop in a single line as shown below:
# Python program to illustrate
# Single statement while block
count = 0
while (count == 0): print("Hello prutor")
Note: It is suggested not to use this type of loops as it is a never ending infinite loop where the condition is always true and you have to forcefully terminate the compiler.
for in Loop: For loops are used for sequential traversal. For example: traversing a list or string or array etc. In Python, there is no C style for loop, i.e., for (i=0; i<n; i++). There is “for in” loop which is similar to for each loop in other languages. Let us learn how to use for in loop for sequential traversals.
Syntax:
for iterator_var in sequence:
statements(s)
It can be used to iterate over a range and iterators.
# Python program to illustrate
# Iterating over range 0 to n-1
n = 4
for i in range(0, n):
print(i)
Output :
0
1
2
3
# Python program to illustrate
# Iterating over a list
print("List Iteration")
l = ["prutor", 'DOT', "Ai"]
for i in l:
print(i)
# Iterating over a tuple (immutable)
print("nTuple Iteration")
t = ("prutor", 'DOT', "Ai")
for i in t:
print(i)
# Iterating over a String
print("nString Iteration")
s = "prutor"
for i in s :
print(i)
# Iterating over dictionary
print("nDictionary Iteration")
d = dict()
d['xyz'] = 123
d['abc'] = 345
for i in d :
print("%s %d" %(i, d[i]))
Output:
List Iteration
prutor
for
prutor
Tuple Iteration
prutor
for
prutor
String Iteration
p
r
u
t
o
r
Dictionary Iteration
xyz 123
abc 345
Iterating by index of sequences: We can also use the index of elements in the sequence to iterate. The key idea is to first calculate the length of the list and in iterate over the sequence within the range of this length.
See the below example:
# Python program to illustrate
# Iterating by index
list = ["prutor", 'DOT', "Ai"]
for index in range(len(list)):
print list[index]
Output:
prutor
for
prutor
Using else statement with for loops: We can also combine else statement with for loop like in while loop. But as there is no condition in for loop based on which the execution will terminate so the else block will be executed immediately after for block finishes execution.
Below example explains how to do this:
# Python program to illustrate
# combining else with for
list = ["prutor", 'DOT', "Ai"]
for index in range(len(list)):
print list[index]
else:
print "Inside Else Block"
Output:
prutor
for
prutor
Inside Else Block
Nested Loops: Python programming language allows to use one loop inside another loop. Following section shows few examples to illustrate the concept.
Syntax:
for iterator_var in sequence:
for iterator_var in sequence:
statements(s)
statements(s)
The syntax for a nested while loop statement in Python programming language is as follows:
while expression:
while expression:
statement(s)
statement(s)
A final note on loop nesting is that we can put any type of loop inside of any other type of loop. For example a for loop can be inside a while loop or vice versa.
# Python program to illustrate
# nested for loops in Python
from __future__ import print_function
for i in range(1, 5):
for j in range(i):
print(i, end=' ')
print()
Output:
1
2 2
3 3 3
4 4 4 4
Loop Control Statements: Loop control statements change execution from its normal sequence. When execution leaves a scope, all automatic objects that were created in that scope are destroyed. Python supports the following control statements.
Continue Statement: It returns the control to the beginning of the loop.
# Prints all letters except 'e' and 's'
for letter in 'prutor':
if letter == 'e' or letter == 's':
continue
print 'Current Letter :', letter
var = 10
Output:
Current Letter : g
Current Letter : k
Current Letter : f
Current Letter : o
Current Letter : r
Current Letter : g
Current Letter : k
Break Statement: It brings control out of the loop
for letter in 'prutor':
# break the loop as soon it sees 'e'
# or 's'
if letter == 'e' or letter == 's':
break
print 'Current Letter :', letter
Output:
Current Letter : e
Pass Statement: We use pass statement to write empty loops. Pass is also used for empty control statement, function and classes.
# An empty loop
for letter in 'prutor':
pass
print 'Last Letter :', letter
Output:
Last Letter : s
How for loop in Python works internally?
Before proceeding to this section, you should have a prior understanding of Python Iterators.
Firstly, lets see how a simple for loop looks like.
# A simple for loop example
fruits = ["apple", "orange", "kiwi"]
for fruit in fruits:
print(fruit)
Output
apple
orange
kiwi
Here we can see the for loops iterates over a iterable object fruits which is a list. Lists, sets, dictionary these are few iterable objects while an integer object is not an iterable object.
For loops can iterate over any iterable object (example: List, Set, Dictionary, Tuple or String).
Now with the help of above example lets dive deep and see what happens internally here.
Make the list (iterable) an iterable object with help of iter() function.
Run a infinite while loop and break only if the StopIteration is raised.
In the try block we fetch the next element of fruits with next() function.
After fetching the element we did the operation to be performed in with the element. (i.e print(fruit))
fruits = ["apple", "orange", "kiwi"]
# Creating an iterator object
# from that iterable i.e fruits
iter_obj = iter(fruits)
# Infinite while loop
while True:
try:
# getting the next item
fruit = next(iter_obj)
print(fruit)
except StopIteration:
# if StopIteration is raised,
# break from loop
break
Output
apple
orange
kiwi