Table of Contents

Overview

Java switch statements are control structures used when we need to make multiple decisions in the Java program. We can replace the if-else-if ladder with switch statements.

Syntax

switch(){

case match1:

//code statements

break; // this is optional

case match2:

//code statements

break; // this is optiona;

…

default :

// code statements when no match

}

The break statement in the case block is optional. The purpose of the break statement is to execute only one case block. Upon break statement, the control jumps to the statement after the switch statement. When we omit the break statement in the case block, the next case statement is executed.

Java switch statement

switch statement can have a number of possible execution paths. Use switch to specify many alternative blocks of code to be executed.

Example:

public class SwitchCaseDemo {
 
 public static void main(String[] args) {
 int weekday = 3;
 switch (weekday) {
 case 1: 
 System.out.println("Sunday"); 
 break;
 case 2: 
 System.out.println("Monday"); 
 break;
 case 3: 
 System.out.println("Tuesday"); 
 break;
 case 4: 
 System.out.println("Wednesday"); 
 break;
 case 5: 
 System.out.println("Thursday"); 
 break;
 case 6: 
 System.out.println("Friday"); 
 break;
 case 7: 
 System.out.println("Saturday"); 
 break;
 
 default: 
 System.out.println("Not in week!! ");
 break;
 }
 }
 }

Switch Case Demo JavaWin10

The output of the program is:

Tuesday

No break statements

Now, let’s omit the break statements in the case blocks an see what happens to the output.

//Java Tutorials - www.TestingDocs.com

public class SwitchCaseDemo {

 public static void main(String[] args) {
 int weekday = 3;
 switch (weekday) { 
 case 1: 
 System.out.println("Sunday");
 break; 
 case 2: 
 System.out.println("Monday"); 
 break; 
 case 3: 
 System.out.println("Tuesday");
 case 4: 
 System.out.println("Wednesday");
 case 5: 
 System.out.println("Thursday"); 
 case 6: 
 System.out.println("Friday"); 
 case 7: 
 System.out.println("Saturday"); 
 default: 
 System.out.println("Not in week!! ");
 break; 
 }
 }

}

Switch Case Example No Break