Java Switch Statements

Java Switch Statements

Introduction 

The Java Switch statement allows you to execute different code blocks based on the value of a specific expression. It provides an alternative to using multiple nested if-else statements, making the code more readable and concise. This documentation will cover the syntax of the switch statement and provide examples for better understanding.

Syntax
The syntax of a Java switch statement is as follows:

java
switch (expression) {
    case value1:
        // code block for value1
        break;
    case value2:
        // code block for value2
        break;
    // add more cases as needed
    default:
        // code block for the default case
}

Explanation

• expression: The value that is evaluated against the cases. It can be of type byte, short, int, char, enum, or String.

• case value1: This represents a specific value that the expression can match. If the expression matches value1, the code block associated with this case will be executed.

• break: After executing the code block for a matching case, the break statement is used to exit the switch block. If break is omitted, the execution will continue to the next case until a break is encountered or the switch block ends.

• default: If the expression does not match any of the specified cases, the code block under the default label will be executed. This part is optional.

Example
Let's consider an example of a simple calculator using a switch statement to perform basic arithmetic operations:

java
public class Calculator {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        char operator = '+';
        int operand1 = 10;
        int operand2 = 5;
        int result;

        switch (operator) {
            case '+':
                result = operand1 + operand2;
                break;
            case '-':
                result = operand1 - operand2;
                break;
            case '*':
                result = operand1 * operand2;
                break;
            case '/':
                result = operand1 / operand2;
                break;
            default:
                System.out.println("Invalid operator");
                return;
        }

        System.out.println("Result: " + result);
    }
}

Explanation of Example
In this example, we have defined a char operator to represent the arithmetic operation and two operands, operand1 and operand2. Based on the value of the operator, the switch statement evaluates the corresponding case and performs the respective arithmetic operation. If none of the cases match (e.g., the operator is not one of '+', '-', '*', or '/'), the default case will be executed, displaying an "Invalid operator" message.

This example demonstrates how the Java switch statement can be used effectively to simplify the code logic for handling multiple cases based on the value of an expression.