The `continue` statement is a control statement in JavaScript that is used to skip the current iteration of a loop, such as `for` or `while`, and move to the next iteration. It is often used within loops in conjunction with conditional statements to selectively skip specific iterations based on certain conditions.
The syntax of the `continue` statement is as follows:
continue;
When the `continue` statement is encountered within a loop, it immediately stops the execution of the current iteration and jumps to the next iteration.
Here is how the `continue` statement works in different types of loops:
1. `for` loop:
for (initialization; condition; increment/decrement) {
// code block
continue;
// more code
}
In a `for` loop, the `continue` statement skips the remaining code within the loop body for the current iteration and moves on to the next iteration.
2. `while` loop:
while (condition) {
// code block
continue;
// more code
}
Similarly, in a `while` loop, the `continue` statement skips the remaining code within the loop body for the current iteration and moves on to the next iteration.
3. `do-while` loop:
do {
// code block
continue;
// more code
} while (condition);
In a `do-while` loop, the `continue` statement has the same effect as it does in `for` and `while` loops, whereby it skips the remaining code within the loop body for the current iteration and moves on to the next iteration.
It's important to note that the `continue` statement only affects the current iteration of the loop. It does not terminate or exit the loop completely. The `continue` statement is often used in combination with conditional statements to control the flow of the loop and selectively skip certain iterations based on specific conditions.