Conditional statements are essential building blocks in C programming, enabling you to make decisions and control the flow of your code. In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore conditional statements in C: if, if-else, and switch. You’ll gain a deep understanding of how to use these control structures with real-world examples and output demonstrations, allowing you to write more sophisticated and efficient C programs. Conditional statements (if, if-else, and switch) are fundamental tools in C programming, allowing you to make decisions and control the flow of your code. In this article, we’ve explored these control structures with real-world examples and output demonstrations, giving you a solid foundation for writing more advanced C programs.
The if Statement
The if statement is the most fundamental conditional statement in C. It allows you to execute a block of code if a specified condition evaluates to true.
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
int age = 25;
if (age >= 18) {
printf("You are eligible to vote.\n");
}
return 0;
}
Output:
You are eligible to vote.
The if-else Statement
The if-else statement extends the if statement, providing an alternative block of code to execute when the condition evaluates to false.
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
int age = 15;
if (age >= 18) {
printf("You are eligible to vote.\n");
} else {
printf("You are not eligible to vote.\n");
}
return 0;
}Output:
You are not eligible to vote.
The switch Statement
The switch statement is used to select one of many code blocks to be executed. It’s particularly useful when you have multiple cases to consider.
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
int day = 3;
char dayName[10];
switch (day) {
case 1:
strcpy(dayName, "Sunday");
break;
case 2:
strcpy(dayName, "Monday");
break;
case 3:
strcpy(dayName, "Tuesday");
break;
default:
strcpy(dayName, "Unknown");
}
printf("Today is %s.\n", dayName);
return 0;
}Output:
Today is Tuesday.
Nesting Conditional Statements
You can nest conditional statements within each other to create more complex decision-making logic.
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
int age = 25;
char gender = 'M';
if (age >= 18) {
if (gender == 'M') {
printf("You are an adult male.\n");
} else if (gender == 'F') {
printf("You are an adult female.\n");
} else {
printf("You are an adult of unknown gender.\n");
}
} else {
printf("You are a minor.\n");
}
return 0;
}Output:
You are an adult male.
