Java Switch

The Java switch statement provides a means of checking an expression against various case statements. If there is a match, the code within starts to execute. The break keyword can be used to terminate a case. There’s also an optional default statement marking code that executes if none of the case statements are true.

Java switch Case Syntax

switch (expression) {
  case x:
    // Code block
    break;
  case y:
    // Code block
    break;
  default:
    // Code block
}

Here, expression is the expression to be checked against the various case statements.

How Java switch Case Works

1. Java evaluates the expression inside the switch case.
2. It compares the result with each case value.
3. If a match is found, the code block under that case is executed.
4. The break statement ends the switch block.
5. If no match is found, the default block (if present) is executed.

Note: Without break, the execution will continue to the next case—this is called fall-through.

Java switch Case vs. if-else Statement

Example 1: Java switch Case with Integers

This example uses an int variable to determine the current day of the week using the Java switch statement. It prints the corresponding weekday based on the numeric value:

public class DaySwitch {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    int day = 3;

    switch (day) {
      case 1:
        System.out.println("Monday");
        break;
      case 2:
        System.out.println("Tuesday");
        break;
      case 3:
        System.out.println("Wednesday");
        break;
      default:
        System.out.println("Other day");
    }
  }
}

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Here is the output:

Wednesday

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Example 2: Java switch Case with Strings

This example shows how to use a string in a Java switch statement to match and identify the month. It’s available from Java 7 onwards:

public class MonthSwitch {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    String month = "April";

    switch (month) {
      case "January":
        System.out.println("1st month");
        break;
      case "April":
        System.out.println("4th month");
        break;
      default:
        System.out.println("Unknown month");
    }
  }
}

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Here is the output:

4th month

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Example 3: Enhanced Java switch Case (Java 14+)

This example demonstrates the enhanced Java switch statement syntax introduced in Java 14. It uses the new arrow (->) syntax for cleaner and safer case handling, and returns a value based on day type:

public class EnhancedSwitch {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    int day = 5;

    String dayType = switch (day) {
      case 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 -> "Weekday";
      case 6, 7 -> "Weekend";
      default -> "Invalid day";
    };

    System.out.println(dayType);
  }
}

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Here is the output:

Weekday

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is String allowed in switch case in Java?

Yes, Java switch statements support String as a valid type.

2. What is the purpose of break in switch?

In Java, the break statement is used in a switch to exit the switch block once a matching case has been executed. Without break, Java will continue to execute the following cases even if they don’t match.

3. Can we use return in a switch case in Java?

Yes, you can absolutely use return inside a switch case in Java. In fact, using return will immediately exit the method in which the switch resides so you don’t need a break after it.