The Switch Statement

[realJSOP]

Well, your colleague is a moron, and it sound s like his father should have used a switch on him more often when he was a child.

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

[realJSOP]

carbon_golem wrote:

it just might be pointing out that there are higher quality alternatives.

You mean like "goto"? LOLOL

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

[Jammer 0]

Whoa ... it wasn't my colleague that stated this ... he was passing on things he'd read/heard ... it was a light-hearted conversation! He is far from a Moron as well, a very good developer in fact.

Jammer My Blog | Article(s)

[Guffa]

Jammer wrote:

He said that he'd read/heard more than once that if you find yourself using a switch you can more or less be assured that its because you've done something wrong in your architecture elsewhere.

That probably comes from someone who don't know how to use a switch properly... What seems more elegant? This:

int result;
SomeClass.SomeEnum value = SomeClass.GetValue();
if (value == SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option1 || value == SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option2) {
result = 1;
} else if (value == SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option3) {
result = 2;
} else if (value == SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option4 || value == SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option5 || value == SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option6) {
result = 3;
} else {
result = 4;
}

or this:

int result;
switch (SomeClass.GetValue()) {
case SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option1:
case SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option2: result = 1; break;
case SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option3: result = 2; break;
case SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option4:
case SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option5:
case SomeClass.SomeEnum.Option6: result = 3; break;
default: result = 4; break;
}

Besides, the switch solution is faster.

Despite everything, the person most likely to be fooling you next is yourself.

[Guffa]

Actually, if you have more than just a few case labels in a switch (four IIRC), it's implemented using a dictionary.

Despite everything, the person most likely to be fooling you next is yourself.

[Mark Salsbery]

:omg:

Mark Salsbery Microsoft MVP - Visual C++ :java:

[Colin Angus Mackay]

It depends on the situation. There are definitely situations where I've seen needless use of switch statements, and others that would have benefitted from a switch statement. If you find that you are switching on a specific property of a class a lot within that class then it can be an indication that you might want to refactor the code into a class hierarchy. Each derived class handles a specific case that was in the switch statement.

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[led mike]

Wow what a mess. Fixed. Thanks

[PIEBALDconsult]

Yeah, more than five, as you showed back in July. I keep forgetting that. On the other hand, using your own Dictionary gives you more flexibility and the ability to use it in multiple places (if you can think of such a use).

[N a v a n e e t h]

As others said, switch statement has many benefits. So use it wisely. You should read something about method cohesion[^].

Navaneeth How to use google | Ask smart questions

[Vengatachalapathy Palanivel]

Switch case is better in performance than if-else-if ladder. While using switch case, compiler optimizes the code for the fastest execution. you can check this Url also: http://www.blackwasp.co.uk/SpeedTestIfElseSwitch.aspx[^]

Regards, Vengat P

[Mark Salsbery]

That was my point[^]

Mark Salsbery Microsoft MVP - Visual C++ :java:

[Jakob Olsen]

Pete O'Hanlon wrote:

It's like everything else in C# - use it when you have to.

Couldn't agree more. I have heard the "using construct X is really bad design" about more or less every construct in C/C++/C#, but they all have situations where they are just right, so use them where they make sense. (yes... even "goto"...)

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