The WHILE loop can be used like the FOR loop with the difference that the break-off condition can be any Boolean expression. This means you indicate a condition which, when it is fulfilled, the loop will be executed.
Syntax:
WHILE <Boolean expression>
<Instructions>
END_WHILE;
The <Instructions> are repeatedly executed as long as the <Boolean_expression> returns TRUE. If the <Boolean_expression> is already FALSE at the first evaluation, then the <Instructions> are never executed. If <Boolean_expression> never assumes the value FALSE, then the <Instructions> are repeated endlessly which causes a relative time delay.
The programmer must make sure that no endless loop is caused. He does this by changing the condition in the instruction part of the loop, for example, by counting up or down one counter.
Example:
WHILE counter<>0 DO
Var1 := Var1*2;
Counter := Counter-1;
END_WHILE
The WHILE and REPEAT loops are, in a certain sense, more powerful than the FOR loop since one does not need to know the number of cycles before executing the loop. In some cases one will, therefore, only be able to work with these two loop types. If, however, the number of the loop cycles is clear, then a FOR loop is preferable since it allows no endless loops.