Control Flow: Conditional Statements in C++

Introduction

Control flow in C++ allows developers to implement decision-making logic, enabling the program to respond differently to various inputs and scenarios. Conditional statements, such as if, else if, and else, along with switch statements, help dictate the path of execution within a program.

The if Statement

The if statement evaluates a condition and executes a block of code if the condition is true.

int a = 10;
if(a > 5) {
    std::cout << "a is greater than 5" << std::endl;
}

The else Statement

The else statement executes a block of code if the preceding if condition is false.

int a = 3;
if(a > 5) {
    std::cout << "a is greater than 5" << std::endl;
} else {
    std::cout << "a is not greater than 5" << std::endl;
}

The else if Statement

The else if statement checks additional conditions if the initial if condition is false.

int a = 5;
if(a > 5) {
    std::cout << "a is greater than 5" << std::endl;
} else if(a == 5) {
    std::cout << "a is equal to 5" << std::endl;
} else {
    std::cout << "a is less than 5" << std::endl;
}

The switch Statement

The switch statement allows a variable to be tested for equality against a list of values.

int day = 3;
switch(day) {
    case 1:
        std::cout << "Monday" << std::endl;
        break;
    case 2:
        std::cout << "Tuesday" << std::endl;
        break;
    case 3:
        std::cout << "Wednesday" << std::endl;
        break;
    default:
        std::cout << "Invalid day" << std::endl;
}

Nested Conditional Statements

Conditional statements can be nested, allowing for more complex decision-making logic.

int a = 5, b = 10;
if(a == 5) {
    if(b == 10) {
        std::cout << "a is 5 and b is 10" << std::endl;
    }
}

Conclusion

Understanding and implementing control flow through conditional statements is pivotal for creating dynamic and interactive C++ applications. By leveraging if, else if, else, and switch statements, developers can create programs that execute different code blocks based on varying conditions, enhancing the versatility and user interactivity of their applications.

Additional Resources

• Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++
• C++ Primer