switch statement

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

Syntax


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

attr - (since C++11) any number of attributes

init-statement

-

(since C++17) any of the following:

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

an alias declaration

(since C++23)

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.

condition

-

any of the following:

an expression, in this case the value of condition is the value of the expression
a declaration of a single non-array variable of such type with a brace-or-equals initializer, in this case the value of condition is the value of the declared variable

The value of condition must be of integral or enumeration type, or of a class type contextually implicitly convertible to an integral or enumeration type. If the (possibly converted) type is subject to integral promotions, condition is converted to the promoted type.

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 a 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 a 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.

If condition evaluates to a value that doesn't match any of the case: labels, and the default: label is not present, then none of the statements in the switch body is executed.

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

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

switch (1)
{
    case 1:
        std::cout << '1'; // prints "1"
        break;            // and exits the switch
    case 2:
        std::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()
{
    const int i = 2;
    switch (i)
    {
        case 1:
            std::cout << '1';
        case 2:              // execution starts at this case label
            std::cout << '2';
        case 3:
            std::cout << '3';
            [[fallthrough]]; // C++17 attribute to silent the warning on fallthrough
        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;
    }
 
    // the C++17 init-statement syntax can be helpful when there is
    // no implicit conversion to integral or enumeration type
    struct Device
    {
        enum State { SLEEP, READY, BAD };
        auto state() const { return m_state; }
 
        /*...*/
 
    private:
        State m_state{};
    };
 
    switch (auto dev = Device{}; dev.state())
    {
        case Device::SLEEP:
            /*...*/
            break;
        case Device::READY:
            /*...*/
            break;
        case Device::BAD:
            /*...*/
            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';
    }
}

Output:

2345
d
red
1

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
CWG 1767	C++98	conditions of types that are not subject to integral promotion could not be promoted	do not promote conditions of these types
CWG 2629	C++98	condition could be a declaration of a floating-point variable	prohibited

External links

1.	Loop unrolling using Duff's Device
2.	Duff's device can be used to implement coroutines in C/C++

Compiler support
Freestanding and hosted
Language
Standard library
Standard library headers
Named requirements
Feature test macros (C++20)
Language support library
Concepts library (C++20)
Metaprogramming library (C++11)
Diagnostics library
General utilities library
Strings library
Containers library
Iterators library
Ranges library (C++20)
Algorithms library
Numerics library
Localizations library
Input/output library
Filesystem library (C++17)
Regular expressions library (C++11)
Concurrency support library (C++11)
Technical specifications
Symbols index
External libraries

Labels
label : statement
Expression statements
expression ;
Compound statements
{ statement... }
Selection statements
if
switch
Iteration statements
while
do-while
for
range for(C++11)
Jump statements
break
continue
return
goto
Declaration statements
declaration ;
Try blocks
try compound-statement handler-sequence
Transactional memory
`synchronized`, `atomic_commit`, etc(TM TS)