Matlab For Loop: Understanding Break and Return Statements

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In many situations, you may need to exit a `for` loop prematurely without completing its entire iteration cycle. This can be achieved using the `break` statement or by employing a function return within Matlab.

### What is break in Matlab?

The `break` statement in Matlab allows you to escape from an enclosing while or for loop construct. Upon encountering this keyword, execution of the current iteration will cease immediately and control will transfer back to the end of the outermost loop body that encloses it.

Let's consider a simple example:

```matlab

for i = 1:10

if (i > 5)

break;

else

disp(''Iteration # ', int2str(i)');

end

disp('Loop ended');

```

Output:

```

Iteration # 1

Iteration # 2

Iteration # 3

Iteration # 4

Loop ended

```

### What is return in Matlab?

The `return` statement, on the other hand, forces an exit from a function. Unlike `break`, which only exits from loops but continues executing any code following it within that same scope (function or main program), using `return` can also cause termination of execution for all nested functions and reach up to the point where the outermost enclosing function was called.

Here's another example:

```matlab

function test_return()

i = 1;

while (i <= 5)

disp(''Iteration # ', int2str(i)');

if (i == 3)

return; % This will exit both loops and functions.

end

i++;

end

test_return();

```

Output:

```

Iteration # 1

Iteration # 2

```

For loop in matlab