Java for-each Loop

In this tutorial, we will learn about the Java for-each loop and its difference from the classical for loop with the help of examples.

In Java, we use the for-each loop to iterate through elements of arrays and collections.

for-each Loop Syntax

The syntax of the Java for-each loop can be given as follows:

for(dataType item : collection) {
    ...
}

Here,

• collection - is a collection or an array
• item - each item of collection/array is assigned to this variable
• dataType - is the data type of the collection/array

Example: Display Array Elements

In the following example, we will use the for-each loop through an array of numbers.

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        int[] numbArray = {27, 5, 9, 18, 55};

        for(int numb : numbArray) {
            System.out.println(numb);
        }
    }
}

Output

27
5
9
18
55

Here, we have used the for-each loop to go through each element of the numbArray and display it.

• 1st iteration, item will be 27.
• 2nd iteration, item will be 5.
• 3rd iteration, item will be 9.
• 4th iteration, item will be 18.
• 5th iteration, item will be 55.

Example: Calculate the Sum of Array Elements

In the following example, we will calculate the sum of an array of elements.

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        int[] numbArray = {27, 5, 9, 18, 55};
        int sum = 0;

        for(int numb : numbArray) {
            sum += numb;
        }
        
        System.out.println("Sum = " + sum);
    }
}

Output

Sum = 114

The execution of the above program of the for-each loop can be given as follows:

As we can see above, we have added each numbArray element to the sum variable in each iteration of the for-each loop.

Difference between for loop and for-each loop

Let us see how a classical Java for loop is different from a for-each loop.

To see the difference between the for-each loop and classical Java for loop, we will write the same program using the two different for loops.

Using for loop

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        String[] fruits = {"kiwi", "pineapple", "orange", "grapes"};

        for(int i = 0; i < fruits.length; i++) {
            System.out.println(fruits[i]);
        }
    }
}

Output

kiwi
pineapple
orange
grapes

Using for-each loop

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        String[] fruits = {"kiwi", "pineapple", "orange", "grapes"};

        for(String fruit : fruits) {
            System.out.println(fruit);
        }
    }
}

Output

kiwi
pineapple
orange
grapes

As we can see above, the output of both programs is the same.

So the difference between fo-each, and for loops is that the for-each loop is easy to write and understand comparing to the classical for loop.

Note: The for-each loop is preferred over the classical for loop when working with collections and arrays.