🎮 What are Control Statements in Java?

In Java, a control statement is used to decide the flow of execution in a program.
👉 In simple words: Control statements tell the program “what to do next.”

Without them, your code would just run line by line, without making decisions or repeating tasks.

🛠️ Types of Control Statements in Java

Java control statements can be grouped into three main categories:

1️⃣ Decision-Making Statements (Choose a path)

These statements help the program decide what action to take, based on conditions.

• if

• if-else

• if-else-if ladder

• nested if

• switch

📌 Example:

int age = 18;

if(age >= 18) {
    System.out.println("You can vote!");
} else {
    System.out.println("You cannot vote yet.");
}

2️⃣ Looping Statements (Repeat tasks)

Used when you want to execute a block of code multiple times.

• for loop

• while loop

• do-while loop

• enhanced for loop (for-each)

📌 Example:

for(int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
    System.out.println("Number: " + i);
}

3️⃣ Jump Statements (Change flow abruptly)

These help you transfer control from one part of the program to another.

• break → Exit from a loop or switch

• continue → Skip the current iteration and continue with the next

• return → Exit from the current method and return a value

📌 Example:

for(int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
    if(i == 3) {
        continue;  // Skips printing 3
    }
    System.out.println(i);
}

Output:

1  
2  
4  
5  

🎯 Why are Control Statements Important?

✔️ They make programs interactive & flexible.
✔️ Allow decision-making (like login validation).
✔️ Enable repetition (like processing large data).
✔️ Help in flow control (exiting loops early, skipping steps, returning values).

✅ In short:
Control statements in Java decide “what happens next” in your program. They are the building blocks that make your code smart, reusable, and dynamic. 🚀