VBScript Loops

last modified February 19, 2025

In this article, we will learn how to use loops in VBScript. Loops allow you to execute a block of code repeatedly. We will use WScript.Echo to output results and run the scripts using cscript.

For...Next Loop

The For...Next loop is used to execute a block of code a specific number of times.

for_next_loop.vbs

Dim i

For i = 1 To 5
    WScript.Echo "Iteration: " & i
Next

This example uses a For...Next loop to output the iteration number five times.

For Each...Next Loop

The For Each...Next loop is used to iterate through each element in a collection or array.

for_each_loop.vbs

Dim fruits(2)
fruits(0) = "Apple"
fruits(1) = "Banana"
fruits(2) = "Cherry"

Dim fruit

For Each fruit In fruits
    WScript.Echo "Fruit: " & fruit
Next

This example iterates through the fruits array and outputs each element.

Do While...Loop

The Do While...Loop executes a block of code as long as a condition is true.

do_while_loop.vbs

Dim counter
counter = 1

Do While counter <= 5
    WScript.Echo "Counter: " & counter
    counter = counter + 1
Loop

This example uses a Do While...Loop to output the value of counter until it reaches 5.

Do Until...Loop

The Do Until...Loop executes a block of code until a condition becomes true.

do_until_loop.vbs

Dim number
number = 1

Do Until number > 5
    WScript.Echo "Number: " & number
    number = number + 1
Loop

This example uses a Do Until...Loop to output the value of number until it exceeds 5.

While...Wend Loop

The While...Wend loop is similar to Do While...Loop but is less flexible.

The While...Wend loop only allows for a simple conditional check at the beginning of the loop. This means that it can only exit at the start of the loop and lacks the ability to control the flow dynamically within the loop.

while_wend_loop.vbs

Dim count
count = 1

While count <= 5
    WScript.Echo "Count: " & count
    count = count + 1
Wend

This example uses a While...Wend loop to output the value of count until it reaches 5.

Nested Loops

You can nest loops to create more complex iterations.

nested_loops.vbs

Dim i, j

For i = 1 To 3
    For j = 1 To 2
        WScript.Echo "i: " & i & ", j: " & j
    Next
Next

This example uses nested For...Next loops to output the values of i and j.

Exit Loop

You can exit a loop prematurely using the Exit statement.

exit_loop.vbs

Dim k

For k = 1 To 10
    If k = 6 Then
        Exit For
    End If
    WScript.Echo "k: " & k
Next

This example exits the For...Next loop when k equals 6.

Loop with Step

The Step keyword allows you to specify the increment for a loop.

loop_with_step.vbs

Dim m

For m = 1 To 10 Step 2
    WScript.Echo "m: " & m
Next

This example uses a For...Next loop with a Step of 2 to output odd numbers between 1 and 10.

In this article, we explored how to use loops in VBScript. We covered For...Next, For Each...Next, Do While...Loop, Do Until...Loop, While...Wend, nested loops, exiting loops, and loops with Step. Loops are essential for repeating tasks and iterating through collections or arrays.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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