Selection Structures

CSE115: Programming Language I

The if Statement – One Alternative
The if Statement – One Alternative
• if Statement (One Alternative)
• FORM: if( condition )
statement T ;
• INTERPRETATION: If condition evaluates to true (a nonzero
value), then statement T is executed; otherwise, statement T is
skipped.
• EXAMPLE:
if (x != 0)
product = product * x;
The if Statement – Two Alternatives
The if Statement – Two Alternatives
• if Statement (Two Alternatives)
o FORM: if( condition )
statement T ;
else
statement F ;
o INTERPRETATION: If condition evaluates to true ( a nonzero value), then
statement T is executed and statement F is kipped; otherwise,
statement T is skipped and statement F is executed.
• EXAMPLE:
if (rest_heart_rate > 56)
printf("Keep up your exercise program!\n");
else
printf("Your heart is in excellent health!\n");
The if Statement – Two Alternatives
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int pulse; /* resting pulse rate for 10 secs */
int rest_heart_rate; /* resting heart rate for 1 minute */

/* Enter your resting pulse rate */

printf("Take your resting pulse for 10 seconds.\n");
printf("Enter your pulse rate and press return> ");
scanf("%d", &pulse);

/* Calculate resting heart rate for minute */

rest_heart_rate = pulse * 6;
printf("Your resting heart rate is %d.\n", rest_heart_rate);

/* Display message based on resting heart rate */

if (rest_heart_rate > 56)
printf("Keep up your exercise program!\n");
else
printf("Your heart is in excellent health!\n");

return 0;
}
The if Statement – Two Alternatives
Look for Bugs!!!
• If the variable item is even, print “It’s an even number”,
otherwise print “It’s an odd number”
if item % 2 == 1
compilation
printf("It’s an odd number");
error
printf("It’s an even number");

if (item % 2 == 1);
logical
printf("It’s an odd number");
error/bug
printf("It’s an even number");

if (item % 2 == 1)
logical
printf("It’s an odd number");
error/bug
printf("It’s an even number");

if (item % 2 == 1)
printf("It’s an odd number"); correct
else code
printf("It’s an even number");
if Statements with Compound True or False Statements

• Enclose a compound statement that is a true task or a

false task in braces.
• Placement of the braces is a matter of personal
preference.
if ( condition )
{
true task
}
else
{
false task
}
if Statements with Compound True or False Statements

if (pop_today > pop_yesterday)

{
growth = pop_today - pop_yesterday;
growth_pct = 100.0 * growth / pop_yesterday;
printf("The growth percentage is %.2f\n", growth_pct);
}

if (ctri <= MAX_SAFE_CTRI)

{
printf("Car #%d: safe\n", auto_id);
safe = safe + 1;
}
else
{
printf("Car #%d: unsafe\n", auto_id);
unsafe = unsafe + 1;
}
Indentation Style
• In computer programming languages, indentation is used to format program source code
to improve readability.
• Not mandatory in C/C++/Java, but mandatory in Python
• In code block: select > right click > format
• Acceptable  Not acceptable
if (cond) { if (cond) if (cond)
statements; { {
} statements; statements;
else { } }
else else No
statements;
{ { indentation!
}
statements; statements;
} }
if (cond) {
statements; if (cond) {
} else { statements; }
statements; Closing braces
not aligned with else {
} statements; }
if/else keyword.
Conditions
• Boolean values: true / false.
• Condition:
• An expression that evaluates to a Boolean value (also called relational
expression)
• It is composed of expressions combined with relational or equality
operators.
• Examples: ( a <= 10 ), ( count > max ), ( value != -9 )
• There is no boolean type in ANSI C. Instead, we use integers:
• 0 to represent false
• Any other value to represent true (1 is used as the representative value for
true in output)
Conditions

• Relational and Equality Operators

Relational Meaning Type

Operator
< is less than relational
<= is less than or equal to relational
> is greater than relational
>= is greater than or equal to relational
== is equal to equality
!= is not equal to equality
Truth Values

• Example:
int a = (2 > 3);
int b = (3 > 2);

printf("a = %d; b = %d\n", a, b);

a = 0; b = 1
Truth Values
• Be careful of the value returned/evaluated by a relational
operation.
• Since the values 0 and 1 are the returned values for false and
true respectively, we can have codes like these:
int a = 12 + (5 >= 2); // 13 assigned to a
int b = (4 > 5) < (3 > 2) * 6; // 1 assigned to b
int c = ( (4 > 5) < (3 > 2) ) * 6; // 6 assigned to c

• You are certainly not encouraged to write such convoluted

codes!
Logical Operators
• Complex conditions: combine two or more boolean expressions.
• Examples:
• If temperature is greater than 40C or blood pressure is greater than 200,
go to A&E immediately.
• If all the three subject scores (English, Maths and Science) are greater
than 85 and mother tongue score is at least 80, recommend taking
Higher Mother Tongue.
• Logical operators are needed: && (and), || (or), ! (not).

A B A && B A || B !A

nonzero (true) nonzero (true) 1(true) 1(true) 0 (false)

nonzero (true) 0 (false) 0 (false) 1(true) 0 (false)

0 (false) nonzero (true) 0 (false) 1(true) 1(true)

0 (false) 0 (false) 0 (false) 0 (false) 1(true)
Operator Precedence
Operators
Function calls
! + − (unary operators)
*, /, %
+, -
==, >=, <=, >, <, !=
&&
||
=
Evaluation of Boolean Expressions
• The evaluation of a boolean expression proceeds according to
the precedence and associativity of the operators.
• Example #1: What is the value of x?

int x, a = 4, b = -2, c = 0;
x = (a > b && b > c || a == b);

• Example #2: What is the value of x?

x = ((a > b) && !(b > c));

English Conditions as C Expressions

x = 3.0 , y = 4.0 , and z = 2.0

English Condition Logical Expression Evaluation
x and y are greater than z x > z && y > z 1 && 1 is 1 (true)

x is equal to 1.0 or 3.0 x == 1.0 || x == 3.0 0 || 1 is 1 (true)

x is in the range z to y , z <= x && x <= y 1 && 1 is 1 (true)

inclusive
x is outside the range z to y !(z <= x && x <= y) !(1 && 1) is 0 (false)
z > x || x > y 0 || 0 is 0 (false)
Short-circuit Evaluation

• Does the following code give an error if a is zero?

if ((a != 0) && (b/a > 3))
printf(. . .);

 Short-circuit evaluation uses the following facts:

 expr1 || expr2 : If expr1 is true, skip evaluating expr2, as the result
will always be true.

 expr1 && expr2: If expr1 is false, skip evaluating expr2, as the result
will always be false.
Nested if Statements
• An if statement with another if statement as its true task
or its false task
Nested if Statements
if (road_status == 'S')
if (temp > 0)

printf("Wet roads ahead\n");

else
printf("Icy roads ahead\n");
Nested if Statements
Multiple-Alternative Decision Form of Nested if

• SYNTAX:
if ( condition 1 )
statement 1
else if ( condition 2 )
statement 2
.
.
.
else if ( condition n )
statement n
else
statement e
Multiple-Alternative Decision Form of Nested if

• EXAMPLE: /* increment num_pos, num_neg, or

num_zero depending on x */
if (x > 0)
num_pos = num_pos + 1;
else if (x < 0)
num_neg = num_neg + 1;
else /* x equals 0 */
num_zero = num_zero + 1;
The switch Multiple-Selection Structure

switch ( integer expression )

{
case constant1 :
statement(s)
break ;
case constant2 :
statement(s)
break ;
. . .
default:
statement(s)
break ;
}
switch Statement Details

• The last statement of each case in the switch should

almost always be a break.
• The break causes program control to jump to the closing
brace of the switch structure.
• Without the break, the code flows into the next case.
This is almost never what you want.
• A switch statement will compile without a default case,
but always consider using one.
Good Programming Practices
• Include a default case to catch invalid data.
• Inform the user of the type of error that has occurred
(e.g., “Error - invalid day.”).
• If appropriate, display the invalid value.
• If appropriate, terminate program execution
switch Example
int day; scanf(“%d”, &day);
switch ( day )
{
case 0: printf (“Sunday\n”) ;
break ;
case 1: printf (“Monday\n”) ;
break ;
case 2: printf (“Tuesday\n”) ;
break ;
case 3: printf (“Wednesday\n”) ;
break ;
case 4: printf (“Thursday\n”) ;
break ;
case 5: printf (“Friday\n”) ;
break ;
case 6: printf (“Saturday\n”) ;
break ;
default: printf (“Error -- invalid day.\n”) ;
break ;
}
Why Use a switch Statement?
• A nested if-else structure is just as efficient as a switch
statement.
• However, a switch statement may be easier to read.
• Also, it is easier to add new cases to a switch statement
than to a nested if-else structure.
Practice
1. Write a C program that prompts the user to input three integer values and
find the greatest and smallest of those three values.
2. Write a program that determines a student’s grade. The program will read
three scores and determine the grade based on the following rules.
if the average score is equal to or above 90%, grade = A
if the average score is between 70% and 89.99%, grade = B
if the average score is between 50% and 69.99%, grade = C
if the average score is below 50%, grade = F
3. Calculate tax.
Practice
4. Determine if a year (provided as input) is a leap-year or not. Rule: A year is a
leap year if it is perfectly divisible by four - except for the years which are
divisible by 100 but not divisible by 400. for example, both 1996 and 2000 are
leap years. But neither 1990 nor 1900 is a leap year.
5. Write a program to compute the real roots of a quadratic equation of the
form . The program should prompt the user to enter the constants . The roots
are calculated according to the rules:-
a) If is zero, there is only one root, which is .
b) If is negative, there are no real roots.
c) For all other cases, the two real roots are .