Introduction
In this chapter, you will learn about the repeat
loop in R. The repeat
loop is a control structure that allows you to execute a block of code repeatedly until a specified condition is met. Unlike the for
and while
loops, the repeat
loop does not have a built-in condition to stop the loop; instead, you must use the break
statement to exit the loop.
The repeat Loop
Basic Usage
The repeat
loop continues to execute a block of code indefinitely until it encounters a break
statement. It is useful when you need a loop with a condition to be checked inside the loop body.
Syntax
repeat {
# Code to execute
if (condition) {
break # Exit the loop
}
}
condition
: A logical expression that, whenTRUE
, causes the loop to stop.
Examples
Example 1: Basic repeat Loop
In this example, the repeat
loop prints numbers from 1 to 5.
Example:
# Basic repeat loop
i <- 1
repeat {
print(i)
i <- i + 1
if (i > 5) {
break # Exit the loop
}
}
# Output:
# [1] 1
# [1] 2
# [1] 3
# [1] 4
# [1] 5
Example 2: Summing Numbers Using repeat Loop
In this example, the repeat
loop calculates the sum of numbers from 1 to 10.
Example:
# Summing numbers using repeat loop
sum <- 0
i <- 1
repeat {
sum <- sum + i
i <- i + 1
if (i > 10) {
break # Exit the loop
}
}
print(paste("The sum is:", sum))
# Output: [1] "The sum is: 55"
Example 3: Using break in a repeat Loop
In this example, the break
statement is used to exit the loop when a specific condition is met.
Example:
# Using break in a repeat loop
i <- 1
repeat {
if (i == 5) {
break # Exit the loop when i equals 5
}
print(i)
i <- i + 1
}
# Output:
# [1] 1
# [1] 2
# [1] 3
# [1] 4
Example 4: Using next in a repeat Loop
In this example, the next
statement is used to skip the current iteration when a specific condition is met.
Example:
# Using next in a repeat loop
i <- 1
repeat {
i <- i + 1
if (i %% 2 == 0) {
next # Skip even numbers
}
print(i)
if (i > 10) {
break # Exit the loop
}
}
# Output:
# [1] 3
# [1] 5
# [1] 7
# [1] 9
# [1] 11
Example Program with repeat Loop
Here is an example program that demonstrates the use of the repeat
loop in R:
# R Program to Demonstrate repeat Loop
# Using repeat loop to calculate factorial of a number
factorial <- function(n) {
result <- 1
i <- 1
repeat {
result <- result * i
i <- i + 1
if (i > n) {
break # Exit the loop
}
}
return(result)
}
# Calculate factorial of 5
n <- 5
fact <- factorial(n)
# Print the factorial
print(paste("The factorial of", n, "is:", fact))
# Output: [1] "The factorial of 5 is: 120"
# Using repeat loop to find the first number greater than 100 that is divisible by 7
num <- 1
repeat {
if (num > 100 && num %% 7 == 0) {
print(paste("The first number greater than 100 that is divisible by 7 is:", num))
break # Exit the loop
}
num <- num + 1
}
# Output: [1] "The first number greater than 100 that is divisible by 7 is: 105"
Conclusion
In this chapter, you learned about the repeat
loop in R, including how to use it for basic iteration, summing numbers, and more complex tasks like calculating factorials and finding specific numbers. You also learned how to incorporate the break
and next
statements within a repeat
loop. The repeat
loop is used for performing tasks that require repeated execution with a condition to be checked inside the loop. By mastering the repeat
loop, you can write more flexible and efficient R programs.