# switch statement

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Transfers control to one of the several statements, depending on the value of a condition.

### Syntax

attr(optional) `switch` `(` condition `)` statement |  |

(until C++17)

attr(optional) `switch` `(` init-statement(optional) condition `)` statement |  |

(since C++17)

attr(C++11) | - | any number of attributes
condition | - | any expression of integral or enumeration type, or of a class type contextually implicitly convertible to an integral or enumeration type, or a declaration of a single non-array variable of such type with a brace-or-equals initializer.

init-statement(C++17)

-

either

- an expression statement (which may be a null statement "`;`")
- a simple declaration, typically a declaration of a variable with initializer, but it may declare arbitrary many variables or structured bindings

  Note that any init-statement must end with a semicolon `;`, which is why it is often described informally as an expression or a declaration followed by a semicolon.

statement | - | any statement (typically a compound statement). `case:` and `default:` labels are permitted in statement and break; statement has special meaning.

attr(optional) `case` constant_expression `:` statement | (1) |
attr(optional) `default` `:` statement | (2) |

constant_expression | - | a constant expression of the same type as the type of condition after conversions and integral promotions

### Explanation

The body of a switch statement may have an arbitrary number of `case:` labels, as long as the values of all constant_expressions are unique (after conversions/promotions). At most one `default:` label may be present (although nested switch statements may use their own `default:` labels or have `case:` labels whose constants are identical to the ones used in the enclosing switch)

If condition evaluates to the value that is equal to the value of one of constant_expressions, then control is transferred to the statement that is labeled with that constant_expression.

If condition evaluates to the value that doesn't match any of the `case:` labels, and the `default:` label is present, control is transferred to the statement labeled with the `default:` label.

The break statement, when encountered in statement exits the switch statement:

    switch(1) {
        case 1 : cout << '1'; // prints "1",
        case 2 : cout << '2'; // then prints "2"
    }

    switch(1) {
        case 1 : cout << '1'; // prints "1"
                 break;       // and exits the switch
        case 2 : cout << '2';
                 break;
    }

Compilers may issue warnings on fallthrough (reaching the next case label without a break) unless the attribute `[[fallthrough]]` appears immediately before the case label to indicate that the fallthrough is intentional.

If init-statement is used, the switch statement is equivalent to

`{`

  init_statement
  `switch` `(` condition `)` statement

`}`

Except that names declared by the init-statement (if init-statement is a declaration) and names declared by condition (if condition is a declaration) are in the same scope, which is also the scope of statement.

(since C++17)

Because transfer of control is not permitted to enter the scope of a variable, if a declaration statement is encountered inside the statement, it has to be scoped in its own compound statement:

    switch(1) {
        case 1: int x = 0; // initialization
                std::cout << x << '\n';
                break;
        default: // compilation error: jump to default: would enter the scope of 'x'
                 // without initializing it
                 std::cout << "default\n";
                 break;
    }

    switch(1) {
        case 1: {  int x = 0;
                   std::cout << x << '\n';
                   break;
                } // scope of 'x' ends here
        default: std::cout << "default\n"; // no error
                 break;
    }

### Keywords

`switch`, `case`, `default`

### Example

The following code shows several usage cases of the switch statement

Run this code

    #include <iostream>

    int main()
    {
        int i = 2;
        switch (i) {
            case 1: std::cout << "1";
            case 2: std::cout << "2";   //execution starts at this case label
            case 3: std::cout << "3";
            case 4:
            case 5: std::cout << "45";
                    break;              //execution of subsequent statements is terminated
            case 6: std::cout << "6";
        }

        std::cout << '\n';

        switch (i) {
            case 4: std::cout << "a";
            default: std::cout << "d"; //there are no applicable constant_expressions
                                       //therefore default is executed
        }

        std::cout << '\n';

        switch (i) {
            case 4: std::cout << "a";  //nothing is executed
        }

        // when enumerations are used in a switch statement, many compilers
        // issue warnings if one of the enumerators is not handled
        enum color {RED, GREEN, BLUE};
        switch(RED) {
            case RED:   std::cout << "red\n"; break;
            case GREEN: std::cout << "green\n"; break;
            case BLUE:  std::cout << "blue\n"; break;
        }

        // pathological examples

        // the statement doesn't have to be a compound statement
        switch(0)
            std::cout << "this does nothing\n";

        // labels don't require a compound statement either
        switch(int n = 1)
            case 0:
            case 1: std::cout << n << '\n';

        // Duff's Device: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duff's_device
    }

Output:

    2345
    d
    red
    1

### See also

C documentation for switch

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