Branch (computer science)

In computer science, a branch is ... (TO DO: define).

Branching is ... (TO DO: define)

(TO DO: expand, organize, cross-reference, illustrate.)

Description

A computer program is, fundamentally, the use of instructions executed by a computer.

By default, instructions are executed in sequence as they appear in the program,[a] but the exception to this rule is the execution of branch or jump instructions that (may) cause the computer to begin execution of a different part of the program than the next instruction, thus "jumping" (or "branching") from one part of the program to another.

Branch instructions are used to implement control flow constructs such as conditionals or loops.

A branch instruction can be either an unconditional branch, which always results in branching, or a conditional branch, which may or may not cause branching depending on some condition.

See also

• Computer program
• Computer science
• Control flow

External links

• Branch (computer science) @ Wikipedia