# Loops

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> _LoopExpression_ :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; [_LoopLabel_]<sup>?</sup> (\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; [_InfiniteLoopExpression_]\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; | [_PredicateLoopExpression_]\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; | [_PredicatePatternLoopExpression_]\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; | [_IteratorLoopExpression_]\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; )

[_LoopLabel_]: #loop-labels
[_InfiniteLoopExpression_]: #infinite-loops
[_PredicateLoopExpression_]: #predicate-loops
[_PredicatePatternLoopExpression_]: #predicate-pattern-loops
[_IteratorLoopExpression_]: #iterator-loops

Rust supports four loop expressions:

*   A [`loop` expression](#infinite-loops) denotes an infinite loop.
*   A [`while` expression](#predicate-loops) loops until a predicate is false.
*   A [`while let` expression](#predicate-pattern-loops) tests a refutable pattern.
*   A [`for` expression](#iterator-loops) extracts values from an iterator,
    looping until the iterator is empty.

All four types of loop support [`break` expressions](#break-expressions),
[`continue` expressions](#continue-expressions), and [labels](#loop-labels).
Only `loop` supports [evaluation to non-trivial values](#break-and-loop-values).

## Infinite loops

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> _InfiniteLoopExpression_ :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; `loop` [_BlockExpression_]

A `loop` expression repeats execution of its body continuously:
`loop { println!("I live."); }`.

A `loop` expression without an associated `break` expression is diverging and
has type [`!`](types/never.html). A `loop` expression containing
associated [`break` expression(s)](#break-expressions) may terminate, and must
have type compatible with the value of the `break` expression(s).

## Predicate loops

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> _PredicateLoopExpression_ :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; `while` [_Expression_]<sub>except struct expression</sub> [_BlockExpression_]

A `while` loop begins by evaluating the boolean loop conditional expression. If
the loop conditional expression evaluates to `true`, the loop body block
executes, then control returns to the loop conditional expression. If the loop
conditional expression evaluates to `false`, the `while` expression completes.

An example:

```rust
let mut i = 0;

while i < 10 {
    println!("hello");
    i = i + 1;
}
```

## Predicate pattern loops

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> [_PredicatePatternLoopExpression_] :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; `while` `let` [_Pattern_] `=` [_Expression_]<sub>except struct expression</sub>
>              [_BlockExpression_]

A `while let` loop is semantically similar to a `while` loop but in place of a
condition expression it expects the keyword `let` followed by a refutable
pattern, an `=`, an expression and a block expression. If the value of the expression on
the right hand side of the `=` matches the pattern, the loop body block executes then
control returns to the pattern matching statement. Otherwise, the while
expression completes.

```rust
let mut x = vec![1, 2, 3];

while let Some(y) = x.pop() {
    println!("y = {}", y);
}
```

A `while let` loop is equivalent to a `loop` expression containing a `match`
expression as follows.

```rust,ignore
'label: while let PAT = EXPR {
    /* loop body */
}
```

is equivalent to

```rust,ignore
'label: loop {
    match EXPR {
        PAT => { /* loop body */ },
        _ => break,
    }
}
```

## Iterator loops

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> _IteratorLoopExpression_ :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; `for` [_Pattern_] `in` [_Expression_]<sub>except struct expression</sub>
>              [_BlockExpression_]

A `for` expression is a syntactic construct for looping over elements provided
by an implementation of `std::iter::IntoIterator`. If the iterator yields a
value, that value is given the specified name and the body of the loop is
executed, then control returns to the head of the `for` loop. If the iterator
is empty, the `for` expression completes.

An example of a `for` loop over the contents of an array:

```rust
let v = &["apples", "cake", "coffee"];

for text in v {
    println!("I like {}.", text);
}
```

An example of a for loop over a series of integers:

```rust
let mut sum = 0;
for n in 1..11 {
    sum += n;
}
assert_eq!(sum, 55);
```

A for loop is equivalent to the following block expression.

```rust,ignore
'label: for PATTERN in iter_expr {
    /* loop body */
}
```

is equivalent to

```rust,ignore
{
    let result = match IntoIterator::into_iter(iter_expr) {
        mut iter => 'label: loop {
            let mut next;
            match Iterator::next(&mut iter) {
                Option::Some(val) => next = val,
                Option::None => break,
            };
            let PAT = next;
            let () = { /* loop body */ };
        },
    };
    result
}
```

`IntoIterator`, `Iterator` and `Option` are always the standard library items
here, not whatever those names resolve to in the current scope. The variable
names `next`, `iter` and `val` are for exposition only, they do not actually
have names the user can type.

> **Note**: that the outer `match` is used to ensure that any
> [temporary values] in `iter_expr` don't get dropped before the loop is
> finished. `next` is declared before being assigned because it results in
> types being inferred correctly more often.

## Loop labels

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> _LoopLabel_ :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; [LIFETIME_OR_LABEL] `:`

A loop expression may optionally have a _label_. The label is written as
a lifetime preceding the loop expression, as in `'foo: loop { break 'foo; }`,
`'bar: while false {}`, `'humbug: for _ in 0..0 {}`.
If a label is present, then labeled `break` and `continue` expressions nested
within this loop may exit out of this loop or return control to its head.
See [break expressions](#break-expressions) and [continue
expressions](#continue-expressions).

## `break` expressions

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> _BreakExpression_ :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; `break` [LIFETIME_OR_LABEL]<sup>?</sup> [_Expression_]<sup>?</sup>

When `break` is encountered, execution of the associated loop body is
immediately terminated, for example:

```rust
let mut last = 0;
for x in 1..100 {
    if x > 12 {
        break;
    }
    last = x;
}
assert_eq!(last, 12);
```

A `break` expression is normally associated with the innermost `loop`, `for` or
`while` loop enclosing the `break` expression, but a [label](#loop-labels) can
be used to specify which enclosing loop is affected. Example:

```rust
'outer: loop {
    while true {
        break 'outer;
    }
}
```

A `break` expression is only permitted in the body of a loop, and has one of
the forms `break`, `break 'label` or ([see below](#break-and-loop-values))
`break EXPR` or `break 'label EXPR`.

## `continue` expressions

> **<sup>Syntax</sup>**\
> _ContinueExpression_ :\
> &nbsp;&nbsp; `continue` [LIFETIME_OR_LABEL]<sup>?</sup>

When `continue` is encountered, the current iteration of the associated loop
body is immediately terminated, returning control to the loop *head*. In
the case of a `while` loop, the head is the conditional expression controlling
the loop. In the case of a `for` loop, the head is the call-expression
controlling the loop.

Like `break`, `continue` is normally associated with the innermost enclosing
loop, but `continue 'label` may be used to specify the loop affected.
A `continue` expression is only permitted in the body of a loop.

## `break` and loop values

When associated with a `loop`, a break expression may be used to return a value
from that loop, via one of the forms `break EXPR` or `break 'label EXPR`, where
`EXPR` is an expression whose result is returned from the `loop`. For example:

```rust
let (mut a, mut b) = (1, 1);
let result = loop {
    if b > 10 {
        break b;
    }
    let c = a + b;
    a = b;
    b = c;
};
// first number in Fibonacci sequence over 10:
assert_eq!(result, 13);
```

In the case a `loop` has an associated `break`, it is not considered diverging,
and the `loop` must have a type compatible with each `break` expression.
`break` without an expression is considered identical to `break` with
expression `()`.

[IDENTIFIER]: identifiers.html
[temporary values]: expressions.html#temporary-lifetimes

[_Expression_]:      expressions.html
[_BlockExpression_]: expressions/block-expr.html
[_Pattern_]: patterns.html

[LIFETIME_OR_LABEL]: tokens.html#lifetimes-and-loop-labels
