SWITCH STATEMENTS

PUBLISHED 9/26/2023

CONTENTS

SECTIONS

• What is a Switch Statement

  • Syntax

• When to Use Switch Statements

KEYWORDS

• ​Expression --> ​ the variable being evaluated within the switch statement

• ​Case --> ​a selection statement that hold the values to be compared to the expression

• ​Default Case --> an optional selection statement that is called if no values ​match the expression

• ​Break --> a keyword ​that is used to exit out of the switch statement when needed to

• ​Control Flow Statement ​--> a programming construct that allows you to control the flow of execution in your code based on certain conditions

GAME BASED EXAMPLES

• ​Power Up System ​--> Create a simple switch statement to compare the value of a variable against the value of a collected power up to activate the correct ability.

• ​Enemy Types --> Create a simple switch statement to compare the enemy type and run the correct code to activate that enemies behavior​

• ​Weapon Types --> Create a simple switch statement to compare the player's weapon and execute the proper code accordingly​

What is a Switch Statement

A switch statement allows a program to filter through a list of possible options, or cases, based on the value of a certain expression. --> Useful when you have limited number of options and you want to perform a different action for each one

SYNTAX

switch(expression)
{
    case value1:
        //code to be executed if expression equals value1
        break;
    case value2:
        //code to be executed if expression equals value2
        break;
    case value3:
        //code to be executed if expression equals value3
        break;
    default:
        //optional catch-all to run code if no matches are found
        break;
}

SYNTAX BREAKDOWN

Expression is the variable being evaluated and it's value is compared against each value stored in each case.

Each Case holds a value that will be compared against the Expression's value. Each case should also hold some sort of function that should be ran if the expression's value matches the case's value.

There is also an optional option to include a Default Case which allows the program to run functions if the Expression's value does not match any of the Case's value.

The Break statement is IMPORTANT! It is used to exit the switch statement once the necessary functions are ran and prevents the code from executing through the other cases.

When to Use Switch Statements

Switch statements and if-else statements are both Control Flow Statements that allow you to execute different code depending on certain conditions.

Use switch statements over if-else statements when:

1. The program has a limited number of options and needs to perform a different action for each one

2. The program only has one option that can be true at a time

3. the program is based on a single expression/variable rather than multiple expressions/variables

Use an if-else statement over a switch statement when the program has a complex set of conditions that cannot be easily expressed in a switch statement