5.2 – For Loop

• Up until this moment, any time that we have used a variable, we have declared it at the top of our program above setup( ) –> these are global variables
• Global variables can be referred to anywhere in your program (setup, draw, mousePressed, etc).
• Not all information needs to be remembered for the entirety of your program. Sometimes we only need to hang onto a piece of information for a little while, and then we can throw it away.
• A local variable declared within a block of code is only available for use inside that specific block of code where it was declared.  (Only inside of setup, for instance. Or inside of an IF statement).

//global variable
int x = 0;
void setup(){
size(200,200);
x = 25;
}

void draw(){
rect(x, 100, 100, 100);
} 

//local variable
void setup(){
size(200,200);
}

void draw(){
int x = 25;
rect(x, 100, 100, 100);
}

//NOTE- SETUP DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT VARIABLE X

We see local variables in  FOR loops! The FOR loop is a nifty shortcut for commonly occurring while loops where one value is being incremented (or decremented) repeatedly.

Remember the while loop —

int x = 0; //THE INITIAL CONDITION
while(x < 25) { //THE BOOLEAN TEST EXIT STRATEGY
rect(x, 100,100,100);
x = x + 1; //THE INCREMENT
}

FOR loops allow us to do all of this in one line of code

for(int x = 0; x < 25; x++){
rect(x, 100,100,100);
}

int x = 0 declares a local variable x and sets its initial condition (it is common to use the name “i” as your variable when writing FOR loops)
x < 25 is the boolean test
x++ is the increment 

This says, start at 0 and count to 25 in increments of 1.

Remember, x++ is a shorthand way of writing x = x + 1
The same goes for x– (x = x – 1)

For loops are handy because unlike the while loop, you don’t need to reset your x variable at the top of the draw loop. You’re using a local variable that is reset when it’s declared inside of the for loop (it’s like making a new variable everytime we loop through draw).