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Java Selection Statements Demystified: Exploring if, if-else, and switch Statements with Problem Examples

 

Java selection statements control the execution flow based on conditions. Java selection statements are:

  1. If-else statement

  2. Switch statement

  3. If-else Statement

The if-else statement lets you run particular code blocks based on a Boolean condition. If the condition evaluates to true, the block inside the if part executes. Otherwise, the code inside the else part (if present) executes.

Example Problem: Checking if a number is positive or negative.

 

public class PositiveNegative {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int number = -5;

        if (number > 0) {
            System.out.println(number + " is positive.");
        } else if (number < 0) {
            System.out.println(number + " is negative.");
        } else {
            System.out.println("The number is zero.");
        }
    }
}

Using the if-else statement, this program checks if a number is positive or negative.

  1. Switch statement

The switch statement allows you to select one of many code blocks to be executed based on the value of a variable or expression. It’s a cleaner alternative to using multiple if-else statements when comparing the same variable against multiple values.

Example Problem: Day of the Week

 

public class DayOfWeek {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int day = 4; // 1: Monday, 2: Tuesday, ..., 7: Sunday

        switch (day) {
            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 day");
        }
    }
}

This program uses the switch statement to print the name of the day of the week based on its numerical value.

Conclusion

Java if-else and switch statements control execution flow based on conditions or values. The choice between using an if-else statement or a switch statement often depends on your program’s specific needs and code clarity.

Reference Links to Include:

  1. Oracle’s Java Documentation:

    • For official and comprehensive documentation on Java selection statements.
  2. Java Programming Tutorials by Oracle:

    • Offers in-depth tutorials on Java programming constructs, including selection statements.
  3. GitHub Java Projects:

  4. Stack Overflow for Java Programming Questions:

    • A valuable resource for troubleshooting and learning from the Java programming community’s questions and answers on selection statements.

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