Level: Beginner
Focus: Loops, random numbers
Infinite Loop Question
The code below uses a combination of an infinite loop and a break statement. The while loop's condition has been set so that it is always true. The only way out of the loop is to use a break statement to jump beyond its boundaries.
public class InfiniteLoop {
public static void main(String[] args) {
//boolean variable to determine if the loop //should end
boolean shouldLoopEnd = false;
//generate a random number
int targetNumber = (int) (Math.random() * 10);
System.out.println ("The target number is: " + targetNumber);
//infinite loop begins...
while (true)
{
//generate a random number to try //and match the target number
int guessNumber = (int) (Math.random() * 10);
System.out.println ("The loop guesses: " + guessNumber);
//check to see if the guess is correct
if (guessNumber == targetNumber)
{
shouldLoopEnd = true;
}
//if we've guessed correctly break loop
if (shouldLoopEnd == true) {
System.out.println ("Woo hoo! We have a match!");
break; // break loop
}
else
{
//around the loop we go again
System.out.println ("Let's try again..");
}
}
}
}
Personally, I use the break statement as a last resort because it breaks the logical flow of a program and makes it harder to read. Can you rewrite the above code so that the program still works the same but it no longer uses the break statement?
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