Java switch case

Syntax : Switch Case in Java Programming

  1. It is alternative to else-if ladder.
  2. Switch Case Syntax is similar to - C/C++ Switch.
  3. Switch allows you to choose a block of statements to run from a selection of code, based on the return value of an expression.
  4. The expression used in the switch statement must return an int, a String, or an enumerated value.

How Switch Case works in Java Programming language

switch (expression) {
case value_1 :
     statement(s);
     break;
case value_2 :
     statement(s);
     break;
 .
 .
 .
case value_n :
     statement(s);
     break;
default:
     statement(s);
}

Different Ways of Using Switch Case :

Way 1 : Switch Case Using Integer Case Label

switch (i) {
case 1 :
     System.out.println("One player is playing this game.");
     break;
case 2 :
     System.out.println("Two players are playing this game.");
     break;
case 3 :
     System.out.println("Three players are playing this game.");
     break;
default:
     System.out.println("You did not enter a valid value.");
}

Way 2 : Switch Using String

String name = "Pritesh";
switch (name) {
case "Pritesh" :
     System.out.println("One player is playing this game.");
     break;
case "Suraj" :
     System.out.println("Two players are playing this game.");
     break;
case "Raj" :
     System.out.println("Three players are playing this game.");
     break;
default:
     System.out.println("You did not enter a valid value.");
}
  • If you are coming from C/C++ then you must understand this concept that - Java Supports String Inside Case Label.
  • Above program if used in C/C++ then it will give us compile time error.

How Switch Case Statement is different in java from c programming

  1. In C Programming we were unable to write Case label of data type ‘String’. In java we can have String inside “Switch”.

Live Example 1 : Choose Day of the Week

class SwitchDate{
  public static void main(String[] args){
  int week = 3;
  switch (week){
      case 1:
            System.out.println("monday");
            break;
      case 2:
            System.out.println("tuesday");
            break;
      case 3:
            System.out.println("wednesday");
            break;
      case 4:
            System.out.println("thursday");
            break;
      case 5:
            System.out.println("friday");
            break;
      case 6:
            System.out.println("saturday");
            break;
      case 7:
            System.out.println("sunday");
            break;
      default:
            System.out.println("Invalid week");
            break;
      }
  }
}