Practical while Loop: How to Implement Counting with while Loop in Python?

This article introduces the basics of while loops in Python and their application in counting. A while loop is a conditional loop that repeatedly executes the loop body as long as the condition is True, terminating when the condition becomes False. The syntax is `while condition: loop body`. The core application is counting: For forward counting (e.g., from 0 to 5), initialize a counter, set a termination condition (e.g., `count < 6`), and increment the counter. For reverse counting (e.g., from 5 to 0), decrement the counter instead. Advanced applications like cumulative summation (e.g., calculating the sum from 1 to 10) require combining an accumulator variable with the counter. Key precautions: **Always update the counter** (e.g., `count += 1`); otherwise, an infinite loop will occur. Core steps to summarize: Define the counting range, initialize variables (counter/accumulator), set the termination condition, and update the counter within the loop. These steps enable flexible handling of counting scenarios while avoiding infinite loops.