The switch statement in C++ is a control flow statement that allows a program to execute different blocks of code based on the value of a given expression. It provides a convenient way to test a variable against multiple possible values and perform different actions depending on the match.
The syntax of the switch statement consists of the keyword "switch" followed by an expression enclosed in parentheses. This expression is typically a variable or an expression that evaluates to an integral or enumeration type. It is then followed by a set of case labels and corresponding code blocks.
Each case label represents a specific value that the expression is compared against. When the expression matches a case label, the corresponding code block following that label is executed. If none of the case labels match the expression, an optional "default" case can be provided, which executes its code block when no other cases match.
Here is an example of a switch statement in C++:
int num = 3;
switch (num) {
case 1:
// Code to be executed if num is 1
break;
case 2:
// Code to be executed if num is 2
break;
case 3:
// Code to be executed if num is 3
break;
default:
// Code to be executed if num doesn't match any case
break;
}
In this example, if the value of num is 3, the code block following the case 3: label will be executed. If num doesn't match any of the case labels, the code block following the default: label will be executed. The break statement is used to exit the switch block and prevent the execution of subsequent case blocks.
