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Switch Statement | Introduction to Program Flow
C++ Introduction
course content

Course Content

C++ Introduction

C++ Introduction

1. Getting Started
2. Introduction to Operators
3. Variables and Data Types
4. Introduction to Program Flow
5. Introduction to Functions

bookSwitch Statement

A switch statement is a control flow construct in programming used to execute one block of code out of multiple possible options, based on the value of a single variable or expression. It's a more structured and readable alternative to using multiple if-else statements when comparing the same value to several possible options.

cpp

main

h

switch

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#include <iostream> int main() { // Example user choice: 1 for Check Balance, 2 for Deposit, etc. int userOption = 1; // Simulating a banking system menu using a switch statement switch (userOption) { case 1: // Check account balance std::cout << "Checking account balance..." << std::endl; break; case 2: // Deposit money std::cout << "Depositing money into your account..." << std::endl; break; case 3: // Withdraw money std::cout << "Withdrawing money from your account..." << std::endl; break; case 4: // Exit std::cout << "Exiting the system. Thank you for banking with us!" << std::endl; break; default: // Invalid option std::cout << "Invalid option. Please choose a valid menu option." << std::endl; break; } }
  • break - statement means an exit from a block of code;
  • default - is an optional part but a useful one. This part will be executed if none of the cases doesn't fit.

We check the userOption variable. If it equals 1, the corresponding text for checking the account balance will be displayed. The break statement ensures that the program exits the entire switch-case block after processing this case, preventing the execution of other cases.

The break keyword

However, there is an important aspect of the switch statement to keep in mind. If the break statement is intentionally removed from a case, the program will continue executing subsequent cases, even if their conditions do not match. This behavior, known as fall-through, can be useful in specific scenarios but may lead to unexpected results if not used carefully.

cpp

main

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#include <iostream> int main() { // Example user choice: 1 for Check Balance, 2 for Deposit, etc. int userOption = 1; // Simulating a banking system menu using a switch statement switch (userOption) { case 1: // Check account balance std::cout << "Checking account balance..." << std::endl; case 2: // Deposit money std::cout << "Depositing money into your account..." << std::endl; case 3: // Withdraw money std::cout << "Withdrawing money from your account..." << std::endl; case 4: // Exit std::cout << "Exiting the system. Thank you for banking with us!" << std::endl; default: // Invalid option std::cout << "Invalid option. Please choose a valid menu option." << std::endl; } }

Without the break command, the program flow will ignore all the following checks and simply execute the commands of the following cases until it encounters the break statement or the end of the entire switch block.

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Section 4. Chapter 3
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