In C programming, a statement is an instruction given to the computer to perform a specific task. A C program is essentially a collection of such statements combined logically to carry out computation, decision-making, looping, and more.

Every statement in C is executed sequentially, unless control flow statements change the execution order.

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What Is a Statement?

A statement in C is a complete instruction that tells the compiler what action to perform.

Most statements end with a semicolon ( ; ).

Example:

int x = 10;
printf("%d", x);

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Types of Statements in C

C supports several types of statements:

1. Expression Statements
2. Compound Statements
3. Null Statements
4. Conditional Statements
5. Looping (Iterative) Statements
6. Jump Statements

Let’s understand each with examples.

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1. Expression Statements

These statements contain expressions followed by a semicolon.

Examples:

x = 5;
a = b + c;
printf("Hello");

Any expression that performs an action or calculation is an expression statement.

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2. Null Statement

A null statement consists of only a semicolon.
It does nothing but is sometimes used intentionally.

Example:

while (i < 10)
    ;   // do nothing

Used when the loop condition itself performs actions.

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3. Compound Statements (Block Statements)

A compound statement is a group of statements enclosed in { }.
Used in if, loops, and functions.

Example:

{
    int x = 10;
    printf("%d", x);
}

A block is treated as one single statement.

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4. Conditional Statements

Used to make decisions based on conditions.

a) if Statement

if (x > 10) {
    printf("Greater");
}

b) if-else Statement

if (age >= 18)
    printf("Adult");
else
    printf("Minor");

c) else-if Ladder

if (marks >= 90)
    grade = 'A';
else if (marks >= 75)
    grade = 'B';
else
    grade = 'C';

d) switch Statement

Used when multiple conditions depend on the same variable.

switch (day) {
    case 1: printf("Monday"); break;
    case 2: printf("Tuesday"); break;
    default: printf("Invalid");
}

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5. Looping (Iterative) Statements

Used to execute code repeatedly.

a) for Loop

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
    printf("%d ", i);
}

b) while Loop

int i = 1;
while (i <= 5) {
    printf("%d ", i);
    i++;
}

c) do-while Loop

Executes at least once.

int i = 1;
do {
    printf("%d ", i);
    i++;
} while (i <= 5);

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6. Jump Statements

These statements change the normal flow of a program.

a) break

Terminates a loop or switch.

for (int i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
    if (i == 5)
        break;
}

b) continue

Skips the current iteration.

for (int i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
    if (i == 3)
        continue;
    printf("%d ", i);
}

c) goto

Jumps to a labeled statement (use with caution).

goto label;
printf("This won't print");

label:
printf("Jumped using goto");

d) return

Exits from a function and optionally returns a value.

return 0;

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7. Function Call Statements

A function call is a valid statement.

printf("Welcome to C");

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Example Program Using Different Types of Statements

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int num = 10;      // Expression statement

    if (num > 5) {     // Conditional + block
        printf("Number is large\n");
    }

    for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++)     // Loop statement
        printf("%d ", i);

    printf("\nDone.");   // Function call statement

    return 0;           // Jump statement
}

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Conclusion

Statements form the core building blocks of any C program.
By combining different kinds of statements—expressions, conditions, loops, and jumps—you can control program flow and create dynamic and powerful C applications.

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🔗 View other articles about C Programming:

https://savanka.com/category/learn/c-programming

🔗 External C Documentation:

https://www.w3schools.com/c