Loops in C - for() or while() - which is BEST?

Question

for() or while() - which is BEST?

for (i=1; i

OR

i=1;
while (i

        

Answer 1

Vote up for Dan McG - if the loop has a fixed count, etc., use for - it's more idiomatic. Classic cases of each:

for (i = 0; i < THRESHOLD; ++i) {
  something;
}

Vs.

while (foo->next) {
  foo = foo -> next; 
}

Also: if you find yourself leaving out conditions in your for, consider what it would be like if you reworte it as a while.

At the end of the day: go back and read each version of the loop. Which one stands out more in your mind as "clear" in intent?