C goto statement

In this tutorial, we will learn about goto statement and its working and why should it be avoided In C programming with the help of some examples.

goto statement

The goto statement is a jump control statement that allows us to transfer control of the other part of the program with the help of a label.

Syntax :

goto label;
..........
..........
label:
statement;
..........

How does the goto statement work?

• The label is an identifier. When goto label; is encountered, the control of program jumps to label: and executes the code below it.

Note : We can use label anywhere in that function where the goto statement is used.

goto statement Flowchart

Syntax1      |   Syntax2
----------------------------
goto label;  |    label:  
.            |    .
.            |    .
.            |    .
label:       |    goto label;

Example: goto Statement

// This program to check if you are 18 or not using goto statement.
# include <stdio.h>
int main(){
  noteligible: 
  int age;
  printf("Enter Your age: ";
  scanf("%lf",age);
  if(age < 18){
    printf("You are not eligible for voting!\n");
    goto noteligible;
  } 
  else{
    printf("You are eligible for voting!");
  }
  return 0;
}

Output

Enter Your age: 13
You are not eligible for voting!
Enter Your age: 26
You are eligible for voting!

Reasons why we Avoid goto Statement

• The goto statement gives power to jump to any part of program but, makes the logic of the program complex and tangled.
• The problem with using goto statement is that it is easy to develop program logic that is very difficult to understand, even for the original author of the code.
• In modern programming, goto statement is considered a harmful construct and a bad programming practice.
• It is easy to get caught in an infinite loop if the goto point is above the goto call.
• The goto statement can be avoided in most of C program with the use of break and continue statements.

Next Tutorial

We hope that this tutorial helped you develop better understanding of the concept of Goto statement in C.

Keep Learning : )

In the next tutorial, you'll learn about C Functions.