Question

Does the while loop test its condition before or after it performs an iteration?

Short answer

A while loop is a control flow statement that allows code to be executed repeatedly based on a given condition. The loop will continue to run as long as the specified condition is true. The condition is tested before performing an iteration, and if it evaluates to true, the code block inside the loop will execute. Consequently, the while loop tests its condition before it performs an iteration.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding while loops

A while loop is a control flow statement that allows code to be executed repeatedly based on a given condition. The loop will continue to run as long as the specified condition is true. Once the condition becomes false, the loop will stop running, and the program will move on to execute the code immediately after the loop.

Explaining the condition check in while loops

In a while loop, the condition is tested before performing an iteration. If the condition evaluates to true, the code block inside the loop will execute. After the code block has been executed, the loop will check the condition again before proceeding to the next iteration. If the condition is false right from the start, the code block inside the loop will not run even once.

Concluding the answer

Based on the explanation of the while loop and the testing of its condition, we can conclude that a while loop tests its condition before it performs an iteration.