Detailed Explanation of Switch Statement in C Language

The switch statement in C is an alternative to the if-else-if ladder, allowing us to perform multiple actions based on different possible values of a single variable, known as the switch variable. Here, we can define statements in multiple cases for different values of the same variable.
The syntax of the switch statement in C is as follows:
switch(expression){case value1://code to execute;break; //optionalcase value2://code to execute;break; //optional......default://code to execute if all cases do not match;}

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Rules of the Switch Statement in C

  1. The switch expression must be of integer or character type.
  2. The case values must be integer or character constants.
  3. The case values can only be used within the switch statement.
  4. The break statement in switch cases is optional. If no break statement is found in a case, all subsequent cases after the matching case will be executed. This is known as the “fall-through” behavior of the switch statement in C.
Let’s understand this with an example. Suppose we have the following variables:
int x, y, z;char a, b;float f;

Detailed Explanation of Switch Statement in C Language

How the Switch Case Statement Works

First, the value of the integer expression specified in the switch statement is calculated. Then, this value is matched against the constant values given in different cases one by one. If a match is found, all statements specified in that case will be executed, as well as all subsequent cases, including the default statement. Two cases cannot have the same value. If the matching case contains a break statement, all subsequent cases will be skipped, and the control flow will exit the switch statement. Otherwise, all cases after the matching case will be executed.
Let’s look at a simple example of a switch statement in C.
#include<stdio.h>
int main() {  int number = 0;  printf("Please enter a number: ");  scanf("%d", &number);  switch(number) {      case 10:          printf("Number equals 10");          break;      case 50:          printf("Number equals 50");          break;      case 100:          printf("Number equals 100");          break;      default:          printf("Number does not equal 10, 50, or 100");  }  return 0;}
Output:
Please enter a number: 4Number does not equal 10, 50, or 100Please enter a number: 50Number equals 50
#include &lt;stdio.h&gt;
int main() {  int x = 10, y = 5;  switch (x &gt; y &amp;&amp; x + y &gt; 0) {      case 1:          printf("hi");          break;      case 0:          printf("bye");          break;      default:          printf("Hello bye");  }     return 0;}
Output:
hi

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