Question

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

Short answer

Answer: The condition in a while loop is tested before each iteration. If the condition is true, the loop will execute the block of code within the loop; otherwise, the loop will terminate.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding a while loop

A while loop is a control flow statement in programming that repeatedly executes a block of code as long as a specific condition is true. The syntax for a while loop is `while(condition) { //Code to be executed }`. The condition is a Boolean expression that evaluates to true or false.

Identifying when the condition is tested in a while loop

In a while loop, the condition is tested before the loop starts its iteration. If the condition is true, the loop will execute the block of code within the loop. After the block of code has been executed, the condition is tested again. If the condition remains true, the loop will continue to execute the block of code, and so forth. When the condition becomes false, the loop will terminate, and the program continues with the code outside the loop.

Example of a while loop

Here is a simple example: ```cpp int count = 1; while (count <= 5) { cout << "Iteration " << count << endl; count++; } ``` In this example, the condition is `count <= 5`. Before the first iteration, the condition (1 <= 5) is true, so the loop executes the block of code inside. After each iteration, the value of `count` is incremented, and the condition is tested again. When `count` becomes greater than 5, the condition becomes false, and the loop terminates. To answer the exercise question: The while loop tests its condition before it performs an iteration.