DECISION MAKING

Prepared by –
Md. Jahidul Islam
L e c t u r e r, D e p a r t m e n t o f E n g i n e e r i n g
B G M E A U n i v e r s i t y o f F a s h i o n a n d Te c h n o l o g y
 INTRODUCTION
• Decision making structures require that the programmer specifies 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.
• C programming language assumes any non-zero and non-null values as true, and if it is either zero or
null, then it is assumed as false value.
• C programming language provides the following types
Condition
of decision making statements –
 if statement If condition If condition
is true is false
 if…else statement
 Nested if statement Conditional Code

 switch statement
 nested switch statement
 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 programming language 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 will be executed.
• If the Boolean expression evaluates to false, then the
first set of code after the end of the 'if' statement Condition
(after the closing curly brace) will be executed.
If condition If condition
• C programming language assumes any non-zero and is true is false

non-null values as true and if it is either zero or null, Conditional Code

then it is assumed as false value.

 IF STATEMENT
• Following example illustrate if statement clearly –
#include <stdio.h>
int main () {
   /* local variable definition */
   int a = 10;

   /* check the boolean condition using if statement */

   if( a < 20 ) {
      /* if condition is true then print the following */
      printf("a is less than 20\n" );
   }
   
   printf("value of a is : %d\n", a);
   return 0;
}

• When the above code is compileda is

andless
executed, it produces the following result −
than 20
value of a is : 10
 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 programming language 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 will be executed, otherwise, the else
block will be executed.
• C programming language assumes any non-zero and non-null values as true, and if it is either
zero or null, then it is assumed as false value.
 IF...ELSE STATEMENT
• Following example illustrate if…else statement –
#include <stdio.h>
int main () {
/* local variable definition */
Condition
int a = 100;
If condition If condition
/* check the boolean condition */ is true is false
if( a < 20 ) {
/* if condition is tru e*/ if Code else Code
printf("a is less than 20\n" );
}
else {
/* if condition is false */
printf("a is not less than 20\n" );
}
Output:
printf("value of a is : %d\n", a);
return 0; a is not less than 20
} value of a is : 100
 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 programming language 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 */
}
 IF...ELSE IF...ELSE STATEMENT
• Following example shows the uses of if…else if…else statement –
#include <stdio.h>

int main () {
 
   /* local variable definition */
   int a = 100;
 
   /* check the boolean condition */
   if( a == 10 ) {
      /* if condition is true then print the following */
      printf("Value of a is 10\n" );
   } else if( a == 20 ) {
      /* if else if condition is true */
      printf("Value of a is 20\n" );
   } else if( a == 30 ) {
      /* if else if condition is true  */
      printf("Value of a is 30\n" );
   }
 IF...ELSE IF...ELSE STATEMENT

else {
      /* if none of the conditions is true */
      printf("None of the values is matching\n" );
   }
   
   printf("Exact value of a is: %d\n", a );
   return 0;
}

• 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
 NESTED IF STATEMENTS
• It is always legal in C programming 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 statements.
 NESTED IF STATEMENTS
• Following example shows how if statements are used as nested –
#include <stdio.h>
int main () {

/* 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 */
printf("Value of a is 100 and b is 200\n" );
}
}
printf("Exact value of a is : %d\n", a ); Output:
printf("Exact value of b is : %d\n", b ); Value of a is 100 and b is 200
return 0; Exact value of a is : 100
} Exact value of b is : 200
 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 programming language 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);
}
 SWITCH STATEMENT
• 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.
 SWITCH STATEMENT
• Following example shows the uses of switch statement –
#include <stdio.h>
int main () {

/* local variable definition */

char grade = 'B'; expression

case 1
switch(grade) { code block 1
case 'A' : case 2
printf("Excellent!\n" ); code block 2
break; case 3
case 'B' : code block 3
case 'C' :
printf("Well done\n" );
break; default
case 'D' : code block N
printf("You passed\n" );
break;
 SWITCH STATEMENT

case 'F' :
printf("Better try again\n" );
break;
default :
printf("Invalid grade\n" );
}

printf("Your grade is %c\n", grade );

return 0;
}

• When the above code is compiled and executed, it produces the following result −
Well done
Your grade is B
 NESTED SWITCH STATEMENTS
• It is possible to have a switch as a 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':
printf("This A is part of outer switch" );

switch(ch2) {
case 'A':
printf("This A is part of inner switch" );
break;
case 'B': /* case code */
}
break;
case 'B': /* case code */
}
 NESTED SWITCH STATEMENTS
• Following example shows uses of nested switch statement –
#include <stdio.h>
int main () {
/* local variable definition */
int a = 100;
int b = 200;
switch(a) {
case 100:
printf("This is part of outer switch\n", a );
switch(b) {
case 200:
printf("This is part of inner switch\n", a );
}
}
Output:
printf("Exact value of a is : %d\n", a ); This is part of outer switch
printf("Exact value of b is : %d\n", b ); This is part of inner switch
return 0; Exact value of a is : 100
} Exact value of b is : 200
 SUMMARIES
• if statement
• if…else statement
• if…else if…else statement
• Nested if statement
• switch statement
• Nested switch statement

• Reference Book:
1. Programming In ANS C – by E. Balagurusamy
2. Teach Yourself C – by Herbert Schildt