Iteration, while loop, and for loop

[Michael Selik]

On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 9:34 AM BartC <bc at freeuk.com> wrote:

> On 28/06/2016 14:15, Michael Selik wrote:
> > On Tue, Jun 28, 2016 at 8:41 AM Elizabeth Weiss <cake240 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> I do not understand the second code. What is counter?
> >>
> >
> > It looks like someone wanted to make a loop induction variable.
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_variable
>
> I don't know if that helps; I've never heard of an induction variable.
>

But you've seen them often in other programming languages?


> And according to the first example in that link, then 'word' in the OP's
> second example might be classed as an induction variable too!


The variable ``word`` was not being incremented/decremented by a fixed
amount, nor was it a linear function of another induction variable.


> Confusing.


Indeed. That's why Python's for-loops are preferable.