The switch() statement is used to test a variable against a list of values, called cases, and execute the code corresponding to the first matching case. It is particularly useful when you have multiple conditions based on the value of a single variable. The switch statement can be more efficient and easier to read compared to a series of if-else statements, especially when you have many possible conditions to check.
The syntax of a switch statement typically includes:
- A variable or expression being tested.
- A series of
caselabels that specify the values to compare. - A
breakstatement to exit theswitchonce a match is found. Ifbreakis omitted, execution continues to the nextcase(this is called “fall-through”).
Example:
int day = 3;
switch(day) {
case 1:
printf(“Monday”);
break;
case 2:
printf(“Tuesday”);
break;
case 3:
printf(“Wednesday”);
break;
default:
printf(“Invalid day”);
}
Output: Wednesday
In this example, the value of day is 3, so the program will output “Wednesday.” If the value were not one of the cases (e.g., 5), the default case would be executed, printing “Invalid day.”