Switch

In JavaScript, the switch statement evaluates an expression and allows different blocks of code to execute depending on the result of that expression. It contains any number of case clauses marking code to execute based on values returned by the expression, and an optional default statement marking code that executes if none of the case clauses are true.

The code after a matching case clause will keep executing until it encounters a break statement, a return statement, or the end of the switch block.

This means that if break is omitted from the end of a case block, the subsequent case blocks and/or the default block will be executed regardless of the value of the original expression. This behavior is known as the fall-through behavior.

Syntax

switch (expr) {
  case value1:
    // Statements to be executed if 'expr' matches 'value1'
    break;
  case value2:
    // Statements to be executed if 'expr' matches 'value2'
    break;
  case value3:
    // Statements to be executed if 'expr' matches 'value3'
    break;
  default:
    // Statements to be executed if none of these cases match
}

In this syntax, expr refers to the expression to be evaluated.

Example 1: Basic Usage of switch

This example uses the switch statement to check if the given number is even or odd:

let num = 3;

switch (num % 2) {
  case 0:
    console.log('The number is even.');
    break;
  case 1:
    console.log('The number is odd.');
    break;
  default:
    console.log('The input is not a number.');
}

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Here is the output:

The number is odd.

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Example 2: Grouping Cases in switch

This example groups multiple case clauses in the switch statement to determine if the given fruit is Apple, Banana, or Orange:

let fruit = 'Apple';

switch (fruit) {
  case 'Apple':
  case 'Banana':
  case 'Orange':
    console.log('We have this fruit in stock.');
    break;
  default:
    console.log("We don't have this fruit in stock.");
}

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Here is the output:

We have this fruit in stock.

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This example uses fall-through to group multiple case labels that execute the same block of code.

Codebyte Example: Using switch Without break

This codebyte example uses the switch statement without the break statement to find out the grade of a student based on the score obtained:

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In this example:

• switch(true) is used to handle range-based conditions, mimicking if-else chains.
• Since no break statements are used, all the statements that come after the matching case will be executed regardless of the value of the original expression.

switch vs. if-else

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is switch faster than if-else in JavaScript?

In most real-world scenarios, the performance difference is negligible. However, for many discrete values, switch can be slightly more optimized than multiple if-else statements.

2. Can we write duplicate cases in a switch statement?

No, duplicate case values are not allowed in a switch statement. If you do so, only the first matching case will be executed, and the others will be ignored or may cause unintended behavior.

3. Which data type cannot be used in a switch statement?

You cannot use complex data types like objects or arrays reliably in a switch statement, because comparisons use strict equality (===), which doesn’t work as expected for non-primitive types.