The switch statement is a multiway branch statement.
It provides a better alternative than a large series of if-else-if statements.
Here is the general form of a switch statement:
switch (expression) {
case value1:
statement sequence
break;
case value2:
statement sequence
break;
.
.
.
case valueN:
statement sequence
break;
default:
default statement sequence
}
Duplicate case values are not allowed.
A break statement jumps out of switch statement to the first line that follows the entire switch statement.
Here is a simple example that uses a switch statement:
public class Main {
public static void main(String args[]) {
for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++)
switch (i) {
case 0:
System.out.println("i is zero.");
break;
case 1:
System.out.println("i is one.");
break;
case 2:
System.out.println("i is two.");
break;
case 3:
System.out.println("i is three.");
break;
default:
System.out.println("i is greater than 3.");
}
}
}
The output produced by this program is shown here:
i is zero.
i is one.
i is two.
i is three.
i is greater than 3.
i is greater than 3.