Python While Loop Basics

Python's while loop allows you to repeat a block of code as long as a certain condition is met. This is different from a for loop, which executes a set number of times.

Here's the basic syntax for a while loop in Python:

while condition:
    code block

The code block inside the while loop will continue to execute as long as the condition is True. It's important to make sure that the condition will eventually become False, or else the while loop will run indefinitely (also known as an infinite loop).

Here's an example of a simple while loop that counts from 1 to 10:

count = 1
while count <= 10:
    print(count)
    count += 1

This loop will print the numbers 1 through 10 to the console. The variable count is initialized to 1, and the condition count <= 10 is checked at the beginning of each iteration. As long as this condition is True, the code block inside the loop will execute. The count += 1 statement increments count by 1 at the end of each iteration, so that the loop will eventually terminate when count becomes greater than 10.

You can also include an else clause in your while loop. The code in the else block will execute once the condition becomes False. For example:

count = 1
while count <= 10:
    print(count)
    count += 1
else:
    print("Done counting!")

This will print the numbers 1 through 10, followed by "Done counting!" when the loop has finished executing.

It's also possible to use the break and continue statements within a while loop. The break statement will immediately exit the loop, while continue will skip the rest of the current iteration and move on to the next one.

Here's an example of a while loop that uses the break statement to exit early:

count = 1
while True:
    print(count)
    count += 1
    if count > 10:
        break

This loop will print the numbers 1 through 10, but it will do so using an infinite loop with a break statement to exit when count becomes greater than 10.

And here's an example of a while loop that uses the continue statement to skip certain iterations:

count = 1
while count <= 10:
    count += 1
    if count % 2 == 0:
        continue
    print(count)

This loop will print the odd numbers from 2 to 10 (the continue statement causes the loop to skip the even numbers).

Overall, the while loop is a useful tool in Python for executing code repeatedly while a certain condition is met. With the ability to use else clauses, break, and continue, you can write flexible and powerful loops to suit your needs.