Loops

Loops in jsonpatcher work like they do in most languages with c-like syntax. There are three types of loops: for, while, and foreach. A do while loop is currently not available.

For-loop

The for loop consists of three parts: the initializer, the condition, and the incrementer as well as a body. The initializer is executed once before the loop starts, the condition is checked before each iteration and the incrementer is executed after each iteration. The body is executed as long as the condition is true.

for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    # The body is executed 10 times
}

Each part can be omitted. If the condition is omitted, it will always be true. If the initializer or incrementer is omitted they will do nothing. If all three are omitted, you get an infinite loop, but you should probably use a while loop instead.

for (;;) {
    # Infinite loop
}

While-loop

The while loop consists of a condition and a body. The body is executed as long as the condition is true. While loops are useful when you don't know how many iterations you need to do. They are often combined with break statements to exit the loop early.

var i = 1;
while (i < 10) {
    i++;
}

while (true) {
    # Infinite loop (done properly)
}

Foreach-loop

The foreach loop is used to iterate over arrays. It consists of a variable name, a value to iterate, and a body. The body is executed once for each value in the array. A variable with the specified name will hold the current element in the body.

foreach (i in [1, 2, 3]) {
    debug.print(i);
}

Break

The break statement is used to exit a loop early. It can be used in any loop, but they are most common in while and foreach loops. Break statements must always appear physically contained within the loop body, and may not be nested within functions.

var i = 0;
while (true) {
    i++;
    if (i > 10) {
        break;
    }
}

Continue

The continue statement is used to skip the rest of the current iteration and continue with the next one. It's useful when you are doing a lot of processing in a loop and know early that an element won't need further work. Continue statements must always appear physically contained within the loop body, and may not be nested within functions.

foreach (i in [1, 2, 3]) {
    # Skip 2
    if (i == 2) {
        continue;
    }
    debug.print(i);
}