Decision Making Statements in JAVA

When it comes to writing Java programs, decision-making statements play a crucial role. These statements allow the program to make choices and execute different blocks of code based on specific conditions. In this article, we'll delve into the world of decision-making statements in Java, exploring their various types and how they are used to make your programs more dynamic and responsive.

What Are Conditional Statements?

Conditional statements, as the name suggests, are used in Java to make decisions based on certain conditions. They form the basis for creating dynamic and interactive programs. 

There are mainly three types of conditional statements in Java:

1. if Statements - The simplest form of decision-making, the "if" statement allows you to execute a block of code only if a specified condition is true.

2. if-else Statements - These statements provide an alternative block of code to execute when the condition in the "if" statement is false.

3. switch Statements - A more complex way of making decisions, "switch" statements allow you to select from multiple code blocks based on the value of an expression.

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The "if" Statement

Syntax of the "if" Statement

In Java, the "if" statement is straightforward and easy to use. The syntax is as follows:

if (condition) { // Code to execute if the condition is true }

Let's take a look at an example:

int age = 25; if (age >= 18) { System.out.println("You are an adult."); }

In this example, if the condition (age is greater than or equal to 18) is true, the message "You are an adult" will be printed.

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The "if-else" Statement

Using "if-else" Statements

Sometimes, you need to execute different blocks of code depending on whether a condition is true or false. The "if-else" statement comes in handy for such scenarios.

if (condition) { // Code to execute if the condition is true } else { // Code to execute if the condition is false }

int temperature = 28; if (temperature > 30) { System.out.println("It's a hot day."); } else { System.out.println("It's a pleasant day."); }

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The "switch" Statement

When to Use "switch" Statements

Switch statements are ideal when you have a single expression and need to choose from multiple execution paths based on its value. The syntax of a switch statement is as follows:

switch (expression) { case value1: // Code to execute if expression matches value1 break; case value2: // Code to execute if expression matches value2 break; default: // Code to execute if none of the cases match }

Here's an example:

int day = 2; String dayName; switch (day) { case 1: dayName = "Monday"; break; case 2: dayName = "Tuesday"; break; default: dayName = "Invalid day"; } System.out.println("Today is " + dayName);

This code will print "Today is Tuesday."