Control Flow: Conditional Statements in Java
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Introduction
Control flow, steered by conditional statements, governs the execution pathway of a Java application, enabling the creation of dynamic and interactive programs. Conditional statements evaluate boolean expressions and decide the direction of the program flow based on the evaluation.
if Statement
The if statement evaluates a condition and executes a block of code if the condition is true.
if (score > passingScore) {
System.out.println("You passed!");
}
else if and else Statements
The else if statement provides an additional condition check if the initial if condition is false. The else statement provides a default block to execute when no conditions are true.
if (score >= 90) {
grade = 'A';
} else if (score >= 80) {
grade = 'B';
} else {
grade = 'F';
}
switch Statement
The switch statement allows a variable to be tested for equality against a list of values. Each value is called a case, and the variable being switched on is checked for each case.
switch (day) {
case 1:
System.out.println("Monday");
break;
case 2:
System.out.println("Tuesday");
break;
default:
System.out.println("Invalid day");
}
Ternary Operator
The ternary operator (? :) is a shorthand for the if-else statement and is used for decision making in a more concise manner.
int max = (a > b) ? a : b;
Nested Conditional Statements
Conditional statements can be nested to evaluate multiple levels of conditions.
if (score >= passingScore) {
if (score >= distinctionScore) {
System.out.println("Distinction");
} else {
System.out.println("Pass");
}
} else {
System.out.println("Fail");
}
Conclusion
Understanding and mastering conditional statements in Java pave the way for creating dynamic, robust, and interactive applications. By efficiently handling the control flow, developers can implement logical structures, decision-making capabilities, and create more responsive and intelligent applications.