break
Exit from a loop in shell scripts
TLDR
Break from loop
$ break
Break multiple levels$ break [2]
SYNOPSIS
break [n]
DESCRIPTION
break is a bash built-in command that exits from a for, while, or until loop. It can optionally break out of multiple nested loops by specifying the number of levels.
The command is essential for loop control in shell scripts.
PARAMETERS
n
Number of loop levels to break (default: 1)
WORKFLOW
$ # Break from single loop
for i in {1..10}; do
if [ $i -eq 5 ]; then
break
fi
echo $i
done
# Break from nested loops
for i in {1..3}; do
for j in {1..3}; do
if [ $j -eq 2 ]; then
break 2 # Break both loops
fi
echo "$i $j"
done
done
# Break from while loop
while read line; do
if [ "$line" = "END" ]; then
break
fi
process "$line"
done < file.txt
for i in {1..10}; do
if [ $i -eq 5 ]; then
break
fi
echo $i
done
# Break from nested loops
for i in {1..3}; do
for j in {1..3}; do
if [ $j -eq 2 ]; then
break 2 # Break both loops
fi
echo "$i $j"
done
done
# Break from while loop
while read line; do
if [ "$line" = "END" ]; then
break
fi
process "$line"
done < file.txt
CAVEATS
Only works within loops (for, while, until). Breaking more levels than exist exits all loops. Not the same as exit (which exits entire script). Continue skips to next iteration instead of exiting.
HISTORY
break has been a standard shell built-in command since the Bourne shell in the late 1970s.