Are there exceptions where modifying the counter is okay?
In some string parsing algorithms, manually advancing the pointer is common, but it must be done with extreme care and clear documentation.
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More FAQs in The Danger of Modifying Loop Counters Manually
No, the compiler allows it. However, it is considered bad practice because it makes the loop's behavior unpredictable and hard to debug.
If you increment the counter manually inside the loop, the loop's natural update step will increment it again, causing it to skip an element.
Use a while loop. It places the responsibility of updating the counter entirely inside the block, making dynamic jumps explicit and clear.
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