Difference between continue and break statements in C++

Break and continue are same type of statements which is specifically used to alter the normal flow of a program still they have some difference between them.

break statement: the break statement terminates the smallest enclosing loop (i. e., while, do-while, for or switch statement)

continue statement: the continue statement skips the rest of the loop statement and causes the next iteration of the loop to take place.

an example to understand the difference between break and continue statement 

// CPP program to demonstrate difference between 
// continue and break 
#include <iostream> 
using namespace std; 
main() 
{ 
    int i; 
    cout << "The loop with break produces output as: \n"; 

    for (i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { 

        // Program comes out of loop when 
        // i becomes multiple of 3. 
        if ((i % 3) == 0) 
            break; 
        else
            cout << i << " "; 
    } 

    cout << "\nThe loop with continue produces output as: \n"; 
    for (i = 1; i <= 5; i++) { 

        // The loop prints all values except 
        // those that are multiple of 3. 
        if ((i % 3) == 0) 
            continue; 
        cout << i << " "; 
    } 
} 

The loop with break produces output as: 
1 2 
The loop with continue produces output as: 
1 2 4 5

Description of the program:

1. Now when the loop iterates for the first time, the value of i=1, the if statement evaluates to be false, so the else condition/ statement is executed.
2. Again loop iterates now the value of i= 2, else statement is implemented as if statement evaluates to be false.
3. Loop iterates again now i=3; if the condition evaluates to be true and the loop breaks.
4. Now when the loop iterate for the first time then the value of i=1, the if statement evaluates to be false, so the else condition/ statement 2 is implemented.
5. Again loop iterates now the value of i= 2, else statement is implemented as if statement evaluates to be false.
6. Loop iterates again now i=3; if the condition evaluates to be true, here the code stop in between and start new iterate until the end condition met.