[stmt.for]

# 8 Statements [[stmt]](./#stmt)

## 8.6 Iteration statements [[stmt.iter]](stmt.iter#stmt.for)

### 8.6.4 The for statement [stmt.for]

[1](#1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/statements.tex#L663)

The for statement

for ( [*init-statement*](stmt.pre#nt:init-statement "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]") [*condition*](stmt.pre#nt:condition "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]")opt ; [*expression*](expr.comma#nt:expression "7.6.20 Comma operator [expr.comma]")opt ) [*statement*](stmt.pre#nt:statement "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]")

is equivalent to

{  
 [*init-statement*](stmt.pre#nt:init-statement "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]")  
 while ( [*condition*](stmt.pre#nt:condition "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]") ) {  
 [*statement*](stmt.pre#nt:statement "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]")  
 [*expression*](expr.comma#nt:expression "7.6.20 Comma operator [expr.comma]") ;  
 }  
}

except that the [*init-statement*](stmt.pre#nt:init-statement "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]") is
in the same scope as the [*condition*](stmt.pre#nt:condition "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]"), and
except that acontinue in [*statement*](stmt.pre#nt:statement "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]") (not enclosed in another
iteration statement) will execute [*expression*](expr.comma#nt:expression "7.6.20 Comma operator [expr.comma]") before
re-evaluating [*condition*](stmt.pre#nt:condition "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]")[.](#1.sentence-1)

[*Note [1](#note-1)*:

Thus the first statement specifies initialization for the loop; the
condition ([[stmt.pre]](stmt.pre "8.1 Preamble")) specifies a test, sequenced before each
iteration, such that the loop is exited when the condition becomesfalse; the expression often specifies incrementing that is
sequenced after each iteration[.](#1.sentence-2)

— *end note*]

[2](#2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/statements.tex#L693)

Either or both of the [*condition*](stmt.pre#nt:condition "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]") and the [*expression*](expr.comma#nt:expression "7.6.20 Comma operator [expr.comma]") can be omitted[.](#2.sentence-1)

A missing [*condition*](stmt.pre#nt:condition "8.1 Preamble [stmt.pre]") makes the implied while clause
equivalent to while (true)[.](#2.sentence-2)