C#•2d ago

Switch statements

Hello, consider the following code:

C#
int employeeLevel = 200;
string employeeName = "John Smith";

string title = "";

switch (employeeLevel)
{
    case 100:
        title = "Junior Associate";
        break;
    case 200:
        title = "Senior Associate";
        break;
    case 300:
        title = "Manager";
        break;
    case 400:
        title = "Senior Manager";
        break;
    default:
        title = "Associate";
        break;
}

Console.WriteLine($"{employeeName}, {title}");

C#
int employeeLevel = 200;
string employeeName = "John Smith";

string title = "";

switch (employeeLevel)
{
    case 100:
        title = "Junior Associate";
        break;
    case 200:
        title = "Senior Associate";
        break;
    case 300:
        title = "Manager";
        break;
    case 400:
        title = "Senior Manager";
        break;
    default:
        title = "Associate";
        break;
}

Console.WriteLine($"{employeeName}, {title}");

Can the switch expression be a expression that evaluates to true or false? like age < 5? or the case pattern can they be an expression that evaluates to true or false like age < 5?

21 Replies

Thinker•2d ago

Firstly, a switch expression is something different from what you're using here (although you could actually use a switch expression here!), what you're using is a switch statement

FakerOP•2d ago

ahh these 2 are 2 different things my bad sorry, thought switch expression and switch statements were the same but on microsoft learn they mentioned switch statement and not expression, my bad

Thinker•2d ago

A switch expression would be something like this

string title = employeeLevel switch
{
    100 => "Junior Associate",
    200 => "Senior Associate",
    // ...
    _ => "Associate"
};

string title = employeeLevel switch
{
    100 => "Junior Associate",
    200 => "Senior Associate",
    // ...
    _ => "Associate"
};

FakerOP•2d ago

oh ok is that still use nowadays or swtich statement are prefered?

Angius•2d ago

Different uses

Thinker•2d ago

They're two different things, both can be used just fine Your specific case right here is kinda perfect for switch expressions though

FakerOP•2d ago

ahh I see switch statement can evaluate things like "age >5" etc/

Thinker•2d ago

Switch statements are useful when you want to execute different code (eg. writing to the console) in different branches of the switch, while switch expressions are used to return different singular values depending on the branch.

FakerOP•2d ago

ahhh

Thinker•2d ago

yes... although I'm not entirely sure what you mean right here

FakerOP•2d ago

it is returned to what, to title ?

Thinker•2d ago

You can do this, yes

switch (age)
{
    case > 5:
        // ...
}

switch (age)
{
    case > 5:
        // ...
}

yep

FakerOP•2d ago

yeah I see, let's say we want a range, like age between 5 and 10 we won't be able to use switch statements in this case?

Thinker•2d ago

yes you would Specifically for numbers, you can write things like case >= 5 and <= 10

FakerOP•2d ago

oh ok

Thinker•2d ago

which will execute the branch if the value is between 5 and 10

FakerOP•2d ago

the thing is I think in other programming language like Java, I think there we can't do that, that's why I was having a doubt

Thinker•2d ago

Yeah, C#'s switch statements are a bit more versatile that in a lot of other languages

FakerOP•2d ago

yep I see, noted, thanks !!

Thinker•2d ago

Since they can match a lot more stuff If you wanna read more into this, it's called "pattern matching" It's incredibly powerful and can be used to great extent to achieve some very cool things

FakerOP•2d ago

yep, will read a bit about that, seems interesting and quick syntax noted, will try to read about them, then, ty !

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Switch statements

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