C# - Decision Making
Decision making structures requires the programmer to specify one or more
conditions to be evaluated or tested by the program, along with a statement
or statements to be executed if the condition is determined to be true, and
optionally, other statements to be executed if the condition is determined to
be false.
Following is the general form of a typical decision making structure found in
most of the programming languages −
C# provides following types of decision making statements. Click the
following links to check their detail.
Sr.No. Statement & Description
1 if statement
An if statement consists of a boolean expression followed by one or more
statements.
2 if...else statement
An if statement can be followed by an optional else statement, which
executes when the boolean expression is false.
3 nested if statements
You can use one if or else if statement inside another if or else
ifstatement(s).
4 switch statement
A switch statement allows a variable to be tested for equality against a
list of values.
5 nested switch statements
You can use one switch statement inside another switch statement(s).
C# - if Statement
An if statement consists of a boolean expression followed by one or more
statements.
Syntax
The syntax of an if statement in C# is −
if(boolean_expression) {
/* statement(s) will execute if the boolean expression is true */
}
If the boolean expression evaluates to true, then the block of code inside the
if statement is executed. If boolean expression evaluates to false, then the
first set of code after the end of the if statement(after the closing curly brace)
is executed.
Flow Diagram
Example
using System;
namespace DecisionMaking {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* local variable definition */
int a = 10;
/* check the boolean condition using if statement */
if (a < 20) {
/* if condition is true then print the following */
Console.WriteLine("a is less than 20");
}
Console.WriteLine("value of a is : {0}", a);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
a is less than 20;
value of a is : 10
C# - if...else Statement
An if statement can be followed by an optional else statement, which
executes when the boolean expression is false.
Syntax
The syntax of an if...else statement in C# is −
if(boolean_expression) {
/* statement(s) will execute if the boolean expression is true */
} else {
/* statement(s) will execute if the boolean expression is false */
}
If the boolean expression evaluates to true, then the if block of code is
executed, otherwise else block of code is executed.
Flow Diagram
Example
using System;
namespace DecisionMaking {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* local variable definition */
int a = 100;
/* check the boolean condition */
if (a < 20) {
/* if condition is true then print the following */
Console.WriteLine("a is less than 20");
} else {
/* if condition is false then print the following */
Console.WriteLine("a is not less than 20");
}
Console.WriteLine("value of a is : {0}", a);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
a is not less than 20;
value of a is : 100
The if...else if...else Statement
An if statement can be followed by an optional else if...else statement,
which is very useful to test various conditions using single if...else if
statement.
When using if, else if, else statements there are few points to keep in mind.
• An if can have zero or one else's and it must come after any else if's.
• An if can have zero to many else if's and they must come before the else.
• Once an else if succeeds, none of the remaining else if's or else's will be tested.
Syntax
The syntax of an if...else if...else statement in C# is −
if(boolean_expression 1) {
/* Executes when the boolean expression 1 is true */
} else if( boolean_expression 2) {
/* Executes when the boolean expression 2 is true */
} else if( boolean_expression 3) {
/* Executes when the boolean expression 3 is true */
} else {
/* executes when the none of the above condition is true */
}
Example
using System;
namespace DecisionMaking {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* local variable definition */
int a = 100;
/* check the boolean condition */
if (a == 10) {
/* if condition is true then print the following */
Console.WriteLine("Value of a is 10");
} else if (a == 20) {
/* if else if condition is true */
Console.WriteLine("Value of a is 20");
} else if (a == 30) {
/* if else if condition is true */
Console.WriteLine("Value of a is 30");
} else {
/* if none of the conditions is true */
Console.WriteLine("None of the values is matching");
}
Console.WriteLine("Exact value of a is: {0}", a);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
None of the values is matching
Exact value of a is: 100
C# - Nested if Statements
It is always legal in C# to nest if-else statements, which means you can use
one if or else if statement inside another if or else if statement(s).
Syntax
The syntax for a nested if statement is as follows −
if( boolean_expression 1) {
/* Executes when the boolean expression 1 is true */
if(boolean_expression 2) {
/* Executes when the boolean expression 2 is true */
}
}
You can nest else if...else in the similar way as you have
nested if statement.
Example
using System;
namespace DecisionMaking {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
//* local variable definition */
int a = 100;
int b = 200;
/* check the boolean condition */
if (a == 100) {
/* if condition is true then check the following */
if (b == 200) {
/* if condition is true then print the following */
Console.WriteLine("Value of a is 100 and b is 200");
}
}
Console.WriteLine("Exact value of a is : {0}", a);
Console.WriteLine("Exact value of b is : {0}", b);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
Value of a is 100 and b is 200
Exact value of a is : 100
Exact value of b is : 200
C# - Switch Statement
A switch statement allows a variable to be tested for equality against a list
of values. Each value is called a case, and the variable being switched on is
checked for each switch case.
Syntax
The syntax for a switch statement in C# is as follows −
switch(expression) {
case constant-expression :
statement(s);
break; /* optional */
case constant-expression :
statement(s);
break; /* optional */
/* you can have any number of case statements */
default : /* Optional */
statement(s);
}
The following rules apply to a switch statement −
• The expression used in a switch statement must have an integral or
enumerated type, or be of a class type in which the class has a single conversion
function to an integral or enumerated type.
• You can have any number of case statements within a switch. Each case is
followed by the value to be compared to and a colon.
• The constant-expression for a case must be the same data type as the variable
in the switch, and it must be a constant or a literal.
• When the variable being switched on is equal to a case, the statements following
that case will execute until a break statement is reached.
• When a break statement is reached, the switch terminates, and the flow of
control jumps to the next line following the switch statement.
• Not every case needs to contain a break. If no break appears, the flow of control
will fall through to subsequent cases until a break is reached.
• A switch statement can have an optional default case, which must appear at the
end of the switch. The default case can be used for performing a task when none
of the cases is true. No break is needed in the default case.
Flow Diagram
Example
using System;
namespace DecisionMaking {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* local variable definition */
char grade = 'B';
switch (grade) {
case 'A':
Console.WriteLine("Excellent!");
break;
case 'B':
case 'C':
Console.WriteLine("Well done");
break;
case 'D':
Console.WriteLine("You passed");
break;
case 'F':
Console.WriteLine("Better try again");
break;
default:
Console.WriteLine("Invalid grade");
break;
}
Console.WriteLine("Your grade is {0}", grade);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
Well done
Your grade is B
C# - nested switch Statements
It is possible to have a switch as part of the statement sequence of an outer
switch. Even if the case constants of the inner and outer switch contain
common values, no conflicts will arise.
Syntax
The syntax for a nested switch statement is as follows −
switch(ch1) {
case 'A':
Console.WriteLine("This A is part of outer switch" );
switch(ch2) {
case 'A':
Console.WriteLine("This A is part of inner switch" );
break;
case 'B': /* inner B case code */
}
break;
case 'B': /* outer B case code */
}
Example
using System;
namespace DecisionMaking {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
int a = 100;
int b = 200;
switch (a) {
case 100:
Console.WriteLine("This is part of outer switch ");
switch (b) {
case 200:
Console.WriteLine("This is part of inner switch ");
break;
}
break;
}
Console.WriteLine("Exact value of a is : {0}", a);
Console.WriteLine("Exact value of b is : {0}", b);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
This is part of outer switch
This is part of inner switch
Exact value of a is : 100
Exact value of b is : 200
C# - Loops
There may be a situation, when you need to execute a block of code several
number of times. In general, the statements are executed sequentially: The
first statement in a function is executed first, followed by the second, and so
on.
Programming languages provide various control structures that allow for
more complicated execution paths.
A loop statement allows us to execute a statement or a group of statements
multiple times and following is the general from of a loop statement in most
of the programming languages −
C# provides following types of loop to handle looping requirements. Click the
following links to check their detail.
Sr.No. Loop Type & Description
1 while loop
It repeats a statement or a group of statements while a given condition is
true. It tests the condition before executing the loop body.
2 for loop
It executes a sequence of statements multiple times and abbreviates the
code that manages the loop variable.
3 do...while loop
It is similar to a while statement, except that it tests the condition at the
end of the loop body
4 nested loops
You can use one or more loop inside any another while, for or do..while
loop.
C# - While Loop
A while loop statement in C# repeatedly executes a target statement as long
as a given condition is true.
Syntax
The syntax of a while loop in C# is −
while(condition) {
statement(s);
}
Here, statement(s) may be a single statement or a block of statements.
The condition may be any expression, and true is any non-zero value. The
loop iterates while the condition is true.
When the condition becomes false, program control passes to the line
immediately following the loop.
Flow Diagram
Here, key point of the while loop is that the loop might not ever run. When
the condition is tested and the result is false, the loop body is skipped and
the first statement after the while loop is executed.
Example
using System;
namespace Loops {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* local variable definition */
int a = 10;
/* while loop execution */
while (a < 20) {
Console.WriteLine("value of a: {0}", a);
a++;
}
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
value of a: 10
value of a: 11
value of a: 12
value of a: 13
value of a: 14
value of a: 15
value of a: 16
value of a: 17
value of a: 18
value of a: 19
C# - For Loop
A for loop is a repetition control structure that allows you to efficiently write
a loop that needs to execute a specific number of times.
Syntax
The syntax of a for loop in C# is −
for ( init; condition; increment ) {
statement(s);
}
Here is the flow of control in a for loop −
• The init step is executed first, and only once. This step allows you to declare and
initialize any loop control variables. You are not required to put a statement here,
as long as a semicolon appears.
• Next, the condition is evaluated. If it is true, the body of the loop is executed. If
it is false, the body of the loop does not execute and flow of control jumps to the
next statement just after the for loop.
• After the body of the for loop executes, the flow of control jumps back up to
the increment statement. This statement allows you to update any loop control
variables. This statement can be left blank, as long as a semicolon appears after
the condition.
• The condition is now evaluated again. If it is true, the loop executes and the
process repeats itself (body of loop, then increment step, and then again testing
for a condition). After the condition becomes false, the for loop terminates.
Flow Diagram
Example
using System;
namespace Loops {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* for loop execution */
for (int a = 10; a < 20; a = a + 1) {
Console.WriteLine("value of a: {0}", a);
}
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
value of a: 10
value of a: 11
value of a: 12
value of a: 13
value of a: 14
value of a: 15
value of a: 16
value of a: 17
value of a: 18
value of a: 19
C# - Do...While Loop
Unlike for and while loops, which test the loop condition at the start of the
loop, the do...while loop checks its condition at the end of the loop.
A do...while loop is similar to a while loop, except that a do...while loop is
guaranteed to execute at least one time.
Syntax
The syntax of a do...while loop in C# is −
do {
statement(s);
} while( condition );
Notice that the conditional expression appears at the end of the loop, so the
statement(s) in the loop execute once before the condition is tested.
If the condition is true, the flow of control jumps back up to do, and the
statement(s) in the loop execute again. This process repeats until the given
condition becomes false.
Flow Diagram
Example
using System;
namespace Loops {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* local variable definition */
int a = 10;
/* do loop execution */
do {
Console.WriteLine("value of a: {0}", a);
a = a + 1;
}
while (a < 20);
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
value of a: 10
value of a: 11
value of a: 12
value of a: 13
value of a: 14
value of a: 15
value of a: 16
value of a: 17
value of a: 18
value of a: 19
C# - Nested Loops
C# allows to use one loop inside another loop. Following section shows few
examples to illustrate the concept.
Syntax
The syntax for a nested for loop statement in C# is as follows −
for ( init; condition; increment ) {
for ( init; condition; increment ) {
statement(s);
}
statement(s);
}
The syntax for a nested while loop statement in C# is as follows −
while(condition) {
while(condition) {
statement(s);
}
statement(s);
}
The syntax for a nested do...while loop statement in C# is as follows −
do {
statement(s);
do {
statement(s);
}
while( condition );
}
while( condition );
A final note on loop nesting is that you can put any type of loop inside of any
other type of loop. For example a for loop can be inside a while loop or vice
versa.
Example
The following program uses a nested for loop to find the prime numbers from
2 to 100 −
using System;
namespace Loops {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
/* local variable definition */
int i, j;
for (i = 2; i < 100; i++) {
for (j = 2; j <= (i / j); j++)
if ((i % j) == 0) break; // if factor found, not prime
if (j > (i / j)) {0} is prime", i);
}
Console.ReadLine();
}
}
}
When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following
result −
2 is prime
3 is prime
5 is prime
7 is prime
11 is prime
13 is prime
17 is prime
19 is prime
23 is prime
29 is prime
31 is prime
37 is prime
41 is prime
43 is prime
47 is prime
53 is prime
59 is prime
61 is prime
67 is prime
71 is prime
73 is prime
79 is prime
83 is prime
89 is prime
97 is prime
Loop Control Statements
Loop control statements change execution from its normal sequence. When
execution leaves a scope, all automatic objects that were created in that
scope are destroyed.
C# provides the following control statements. Click the following links to
check their details.
Sr.No. Control Statement & Description
1 break statement
Terminates the loop or switch statement and transfers execution to the
statement immediately following the loop or switch.
2 continue statement
Causes the loop to skip the remainder of its body and immediately retest
its condition prior to reiterating.
Infinite Loop
A loop becomes infinite loop if a condition never becomes false. The for loop
is traditionally used for this purpose. Since none of the three expressions that
form the for loop are required, you can make an endless loop by leaving the
conditional expression empty.
Example
using System;
namespace Loops {
class Program {
static void Main(string[] args) {
for (; ; ) {
Console.WriteLine("Hey! I am Trapped");
}
}
}
}
When the conditional expression is absent, it is assumed to be true. You may
have an initialization and increment expression, but programmers more
commonly use the for(;;) construct to signify an infinite loop.
