Control Statements in Java: Types, Flowcharts, and Code Examples
By Rohan Vats
Updated on Jun 30, 2025 | 10 min read | 11.25K+ views
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By Rohan Vats
Updated on Jun 30, 2025 | 10 min read | 11.25K+ views
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Did you know? Java 21, with its Long-Term Support (LTS) release, brings exciting new control flow features! Pattern matching for switch statements makes your decision-making code more concise, clear, and expressive than ever before. |
Control statements in Java are fundamental to programming because they dictate the flow of execution, enabling your programs to make decisions and repeat tasks efficiently.
Imagine building a banking app that approves transactions only if the user has sufficient funds. That decision-making relies heavily on control statements. These statements allow the program to evaluate conditions and decide which actions to perform, ensuring accurate and secure processing of each transaction.
In this article, you'll learn how to optimize control statements in Java, helping you write cleaner, faster, and more reliable code.
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Control statements in Java are essential constructs that manage the flow of program execution by directing the order in which code blocks run. They enable conditional branching, allowing the program to choose different paths based on evaluated expressions, and facilitate repetitive execution through loops.
Working with control statements in Java isn't just about understanding theory. You need practical experience to apply these concepts and manage program flow efficiently. Here are three programs that can help you:
By default, Java executes code line by line from top to bottom, left to right. However, control statements in Java let you change this flow by deciding whether certain blocks of code should run based on conditions or loops.
For example, the if statement is a decision-making control structure that executes code only when a specified condition is true. Since Java is case-sensitive, keywords like if must be written in lowercase. Inside the if block, you can perform actions such as printing variable values to monitor the program’s behavior.
Now that you have a good understanding of control statements in Java, let’s look at the different types of control statements in Java.
This structure refers to the sequential execution of statements one after the other, as specified in the code. This is the default structure built into Java wherein the statements are executed one after the other from beginning to end unless instructed otherwise.
For example, a simple program that prints "Hello" followed by "World" will execute in sequence, printing "Hello" first and "World" second:
System.out.println("Hello");
System.out.println("World");
Output:
Hello
World
In real-life applications, the sequence structure is often used for straightforward tasks that don’t require decision-making or repetition, like initialization steps, simple calculations, or logging information.
For example, when initializing variables or setting up initial configurations in your program, the sequence structure ensures that the steps happen in the correct order.
Also Read: Is Java Easy to Learn? Key Factors to Consider
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This structure will let us choose a path based on a given condition. Java has three types of Selection statements, namely, if statement, if-else-statement, and switch statement. Selection statements are also called as decision-making statements. If and switch statements allow you to control the program execution flow based on the condition at runtime.
This statement allows the program to start, reach a decision based on the set condition. This means a code can or cannot be executed.
Example:
if (x < 20) {
System.out.println("Hello Universe!");
}
Example output:
Hello Universe!
If x = 25, there will be no output.
The program starts and reads the decision based on the set condition and continues to do one thing or another and concludes.
Example:
if (x < 20) {
System.out.println("Hello Universe!");
} else {
System.out.println("Hello folks!");
}
Example outputs:
For x = 15:
Hello Universe!
For x = 25:
Hello folks!
A switch statement allows the program to select one of many possible execution paths based on the value of a variable. Each case corresponds to a specific value, and the program executes the code under the matching case until it encounters a break statement, which exits the switch. If no case matches, the default case is executed.
Example:
String dayName;
int dayNumber = 2; // Example input
switch (dayNumber) {
case 1:
dayName = "Monday";
break;
case 2:
dayName = "Tuesday";
break;
case 3:
dayName = "Wednesday";
break;
default:
dayName = "Any other Day";
break;
}
System.out.println(dayName);
Example output:
For dayNumber = 2, the output will be:
Tuesday
If dayNumber = 5, the output will be:
Any other Day
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Also Read: Learn 50 Java Projects With Source Code (2025 Edition)
The Repetition Structure in Java allows you to execute code statements multiple times, or even zero times, depending on a specified condition. This structure is fundamental for performing repetitive tasks within a program, such as iterating through a list of items or executing code until a certain condition is met.
In Java, there are three main types of looping statements that enable repetition:
These loops allow you to repeat one or more statements a set number of times, or as long as a specific condition remains true. Each loop follows a four-part structure:
For Loop
This statement is used when the number of iterations is known before entering the loop. This loop is used to evaluate the initial value statements to the final value with a given increment/decrement.
For Loop flow:
Example: Counting from 1 to 20
for (int m = 1; m <= 20; m = m + 1) {
System.out.println(m);
}
How it works: Starts with m = 1 and prints the value of m. Then it increments m by 1 each time, repeating until m is greater than 20.
Output:
1
2
3
...
19
20
While Loop
A while loop repeatedly executes a block of code as long as the given condition remains true. It starts with an initial value and continues looping, incrementing or decrementing the control variable until the condition becomes false.
While Loop flow:
Example : Print values from 1 to 10
class WhileExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int i = 1;
while (i <= 10) {
System.out.println(i);
i++;
}
}
}
Expected Output:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
do while loop
A do-while loop executes the block of code at least once before checking the condition. It continues to repeat the loop as long as the condition remains true. This is useful when you want the loop body to run before any condition is tested.
Do-While Loop flow:
Example : Calculating the sum of numbers from 1 to 10
class DoWhileExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int i = 1;
int sum = 0;
do {
sum = sum + i;
i++;
} while (i <= 10);
System.out.println("\nThe sum of 1 to 10 is: " + sum);
}
}
Expected Output:
The sum of 1 to 10 is: 55
One of the major differences between the while loop and the do-while loop is that in a do-while loop, you will be executing the body of the loop initially and then check the condition. the do-while loop executes the block of the statement even when the condition fails, and it executes one time.
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After understanding selection and repetition, branching statements in Java provide further control over program flow by allowing you to break, continue, or return.
When working with loops in Java, there are situations where you may want to skip certain iterations or exit the loop immediately. This is where branching statements like break, continue, and return come into play.
They control the flow by either terminating loops or skipping parts of them, allowing more precise execution control.
The break statement in Java has two forms: unlabeled and labeled. The unlabeled break is commonly used to exit loops (while, do-while) or switch blocks immediately. Without a break inside a switch case, execution continues (“falls through”) to the next case, which can lead to unintended results.
The switch statement works like an if-else, selecting code to execute based on the input value.
For instance, passing a marks integer to switch will print the matched case message, but if no break is present, it continues to the next case and eventually the default.
Example:
public class BreakDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String str1 = args[0];
int marks = Integer.parseInt(str1);
switch(marks) {
case 95:
System.out.println("Your marks: " + marks + " and rank is A");
break;
case 80:
System.out.println("Your marks: " + marks + " and rank is B");
break;
case 70:
System.out.println("Your marks: " + marks + " and rank is C");
break;
default:
System.out.println("Your marks: " + marks + " and rank is FAIL");
break;
}
}
}
Example Outputs:
If you run:
java BreakDemo 95
Output:
Your marks: 95 and rank is A
If you run:
java BreakDemo 80
Output:
Your marks: 80 and rank is
If you run:
java BreakDemo 65
Output:
Your marks: 65 and rank is FAIL
The continue statement is used inside loops to skip the current iteration and proceed to the next one. Instead of exiting the loop entirely (like with break), continue allows you to skip the remaining code in the current iteration and go back to the loop’s condition check or increment/decrement step.
This example is to print odd numbers. The continue statement skips the iteration of for, while loops.
Example:
public class ContinueDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
if (i % 2 == 0) continue;
System.out.println("Odd number " + i);
}
}
}
Output:
Odd number 1
Odd number 3
Odd number 5
Odd number 7
Odd number 9
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The return statement is used to return the value from a method explicitly. The called class will process and transfer the control back to the caller of the method. The data type of the return value must match the type of methods declared return value. If a method is declared as void, it does not return a value.
Example:
public class RectangleTest {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Rectangle rect = new Rectangle();
rect.setDim(10, 5);
int area = rect.getArea();
System.out.println("Area of rectangle: " + area);
}
}
class Rectangle {
int length;
int breadth;
void setDim(int le, int br) {
length = le;
breadth = br;
}
int getArea() {
return length * breadth;
}
}
Expected Output:
Area of rectangle: 50
Explanation: Length = 10, Breadth = 5, so Area = 10 * 5 = 50.
Connecting the Control Structure and connect the statements control structures in two ways, one is by stacking, and the other is by nesting.
Control Statement Stacking
The entry point of one activity diagram can be connected to the exit point of another. For example, a sequence statement and a selection statement can be combined through stacking.
Focus on optimizing your code using efficient loop structures and control flows. To take it further, dive into design patterns and multithreading for building more scalable and efficient applications.
Control statements in Java, like if, switch, and for loops are essential for building dynamic applications, such as creating an interactive login system or processing user inputs in a real-time chat application. However, you might face challenges in handling more complex decision trees or optimizing large-scale applications.
To improve, focus on mastering nested loops, branching logic, and refining control statements in Java. For further growth, upGrad’s Java courses offer hands-on experience and mentorship to tackle advanced challenges.
In addition to the courses mentioned above, here are some more free courses that can help you elevate your skills:
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Reference:
https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/21/
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