Switch Statements in C#

Introduction:

This tutorial is on how to use Switch statements in C#.

Switch:

A switch statement allows a single variable or static piece of data to be checked for mulitple conditions, essentially like a long 'else if' statement but a lot more compact and with slightly more flexability.

Case:

To use a switch statement there are a few other keywords we need to learn first, one of which is 'case'. Case is a possible value of the variable or value being 'switched', this must be of the same data type as the value being switched and must be followed by a colon. Break is a keyword used to exit the inner-most loop or statement running, in this case it would be the 'case' statement. Break is used to ensure that the case containing the current 'break' keyword/statement does not 'fall through' in to the next case. Default can be used as a final case just in the event that none of the other cases match the variable or value being 'switched'.

Variable:

Now we are going to write some code. First we will create a string variable which we will use in our switch statement later, we'll name this variable 'switcher' and give it a value of 'Yorkiebar'...

Switch:

Next we create the switch statement, this is the keyword 'switch' followed by the variable/value to be switched in brackets, followed by an enclosed code block...

Cases:

For the cases we write 'case' followed by the value we are testing for, followed by a colon (':'). Under that line, we type what we want to happen, we'll messagebox something, then we type 'break;' to prevent fall throughs to the following case...

Default:

Finally we can write a default code block for the event that none of the above 'case' statements were correct on the currently being 'switched' variable/value. Default must always go last in a switch statement to avoid errors...

Finished!

Here is the full source code...