JavaScript Switch Statement
Switch Control Flow
Based on a condition, switch selects one or more
code blocks to be executed.
switch executes the code blocks that matches an expression.
switch is often used as a more readable alternative
to many if...else if...else statements, especially when dealing with multiple possible values.
Syntax
switch(expression) {
case x:
// code block
break;
case y:
// code block
break;
default:
// code block
}
This is how it works:
- The switch expression is evaluated once.
- The value of the expression is compared with the values of each case.
- If there is a match, the associated block of code is executed.
- If there is no match, no code is executed.
Example
The getDay() method returns the weekday as a number between
0 and 6.
(Sunday=0, Monday=1, Tuesday=2 ..)
This example uses the weekday number to calculate the weekday name:
switch (new Date().getDay()) {
case 0:
day = "Sunday";
break;
case 1:
day = "Monday";
break;
case 2:
day = "Tuesday";
break;
case 3:
day = "Wednesday";
break;
case 4:
day = "Thursday";
break;
case 5:
day = "Friday";
break;
case 6:
day = "Saturday";
}
Try it Yourself »
The break Keyword
When JavaScript reaches a break
keyword, it breaks out of the switch block.
This will stop the execution inside the switch block.
No more statements in the switch block will be executed.
It is not necessary to break the last case. The switch ends (breaks) there anyway.
Note
The break keyword is crucial for preventing a "fall-through."
Without break, the code will continue to execute the next case blocks
(and the default block if present) even if their values do not match the expression.
The default Keyword
The default keyword specifies a block of code to run if there is no
case match.
The default keyword is optional.
The default can act as a fallback:
Example
The getDay() method returns the weekday as a number between
0 and 6.
If today is neither Saturday (6) nor Sunday (0), write a default message:
switch (new Date().getDay()) {
case 6:
text = "Today is Saturday";
break;
case 0:
text = "Today is Sunday";
break;
default:
text = "Looking forward to the Weekend";
}
The result of text will be:
Looking forward to the Weekend
The default case does not have to be the last case in a switch
block:
Example
switch (new Date().getDay()) {
default:
text = "Looking forward to the Weekend";
break;
case 6:
text = "Today is Saturday";
break;
case 0:
text = "Today is Sunday";
}
Try it Yourself »
If default is not the last case in the switch block, remember to end the default case with a break.
Common Code Blocks
Sometimes you will want different switch cases to use the same code.
In this example case 4 and 5 share the same code block, and 0 and 6 share another code block:
Example
switch (new Date().getDay()) {
case 4:
case 5:
text = "Soon it is Weekend";
break;
case 0:
case 6:
text = "It is Weekend";
break;
default:
text = "Looking forward to the Weekend";
}
Try it Yourself »
Switching Details
If multiple cases matches a case value, the first case is selected.
If no matching cases are found, the program continues to the default label.
If no default label is found, the program continues to the statement(s) after the switch.
Strict Comparison
Switch uses strict comparison (===).
The values must be of the same type to match.
A strict comparison can only be true if both operands are of the same type.
Example
In this example there is no match for x:
let x = "0";
switch (x) {
case 0:
text = "Off";
break;
case 1:
text = "On";
break;
default:
text = "No value found";
}
Try it Yourself »
Exercise?What is this?
Test your skills by answering a few questions about the topics of this page
Which one is NOT a keyword in the switch statement?
