C# Switch

The switch keyword offers a simple, readable, and developer-friendly way to evaluate a single value against several possible outcomes.
When you start building real-world applications in C#, one of the most important skills you’ll develop is writing clean and structured decision-making logic. Many beginners rely heavily on if-else statements, but as the number of conditions grows, if-else blocks become harder to read and maintain

This is where the switch statement shines.

What Is a switch Statement in C#?

In C#, the switch statement provides a clean and efficient way to evaluate a single expression against several possible values. Based on the matched case, it runs the corresponding block of code, making complex conditional logic easier to read and maintain.

Syntax of switch in C#

switch (expression)
{
    case value1:
        // Statements for case 1
        break;

    case value2:
        // Statements for case 2
        break;

    default:
        // Statements when no case matches
        break;
}

• C# checks the switch value once.
• It compares that value with each case.
• When it finds a match, that code runs.
• break stops further execution.
• If none match, default executes.

Example1 - Selecting a month name:

int month = 10;

switch (month)
{
    case 1:
        Console.WriteLine("January");
        break;

    case 2:
        Console.WriteLine("February");
        break;

    case 10:
        Console.WriteLine("October");
        break;

    default:
        Console.WriteLine("Invalid month");
        break;
}

The variable month contains 10, so the switch finds the matching case and prints October.

Example 2: Handling User Commands With Strings

Strings are frequently used in applications — menus, commands, statuses, etc.
Note: C# fully supports switching on strings.

string action = "login";

switch (action)
{
    case "login":
        Console.WriteLine("User logged in.");
        break;

    case "logout":
        Console.WriteLine("User logged out.");
        break;

    case "signup":
        Console.WriteLine("Creating new account...");
        break;

    default:
        Console.WriteLine("Unknown action");
        break;
}

Example 3: Grouping Multiple Cases

Sometimes multiple values should produce the same output.
Instead of repeating code, you can stack cases together.

char letter = 'a';

switch (letter)
{
    case 'a':
    case 'e':
    case 'i':
    case 'o':
    case 'u':
        Console.WriteLine("Vowel");
        break;

    default:
        Console.WriteLine("Consonant");
        break;
}

Conclusion

The switch statement in C# is an essential control structure that helps keep your decision-making logic clean, structured, and easy to understand. Whether you are handling numbers, user choices, or status codes, switch provides a neat solution compared to long if-else chains.

With the addition of switch expressions in modern C#, developers now have an even more elegant and compact way to write value-based logic.