---
title: "Iteration Statements (C++)"
ms.date: "11/04/2016"
helpviewer_keywords: ["iteration statements", "loop structures, iteration statements"]
ms.assetid: bf6d75f7-ead2-426a-9c47-33847f59b8c7
---
# Iteration Statements (C++)

Iteration statements cause statements (or compound statements) to be executed zero or more times, subject to some loop-termination criteria. When these statements are compound statements, they are executed in order, except when either the [break](../cpp/break-statement-cpp.md) statement or the [continue](../cpp/continue-statement-cpp.md) statement is encountered.

C++ provides four iteration statements — [while](../cpp/while-statement-cpp.md), [do](../cpp/do-while-statement-cpp.md), [for](../cpp/for-statement-cpp.md), and [range-based for](../cpp/range-based-for-statement-cpp.md). Each of these iterates until its termination expression evaluates to zero (false), or until loop termination is forced with a **`break`** statement. The following table summarizes these statements and their actions; each is discussed in detail in the sections that follow.

### Iteration Statements

|Statement|Evaluated At|Initialization|Increment|
|---------------|------------------|--------------------|---------------|
|**`while`**|Top of loop|No|No|
|**`do`**|Bottom of loop|No|No|
|**`for`**|Top of loop|Yes|Yes|
|**range-based for**|Top of loop|Yes|Yes|

The statement part of an iteration statement cannot be a declaration. However, it can be a compound statement containing a declaration.

## See also

[Overview of C++ Statements](../cpp/overview-of-cpp-statements.md)