switch compares a value against several cases and runs the matching block. When you'd otherwise need a long chain of if/else statements, switch can make things cleaner. It's handy for checking fixed values like a menu option, day number, user role, or status code.
java
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int day = 4;
switch (day) {
case 1:
System.out.println("Monday");
break;
case 2:
System.out.println("Tuesday");
break;
case 3:
System.out.println("Wednesday");
break;
case 4:
System.out.println("Thursday");
break;
default:
System.out.println("Unknown day");
}
}
}day is 4, so it matches case 4 and prints Thursday. break is used to exit the switch after the selected case runs.
You should see
ThursdayReal-world use
The switch pattern can be used for things like dashboard tab selection, order status handling, role-based menu display, and command-line menu systems.