understanding switch statements

[cplusplusking]

Can someone help me out with switch statements, doesnt make sense to me

[hackitsoft]

Hi, switch statement 'substituing' a if - else if - else if .... sequence.
for example, you have char variable witch some value, and you know, there is 'a', 'b', 'c' or 'd', so you can write:

char h;
/...
if (h == 'a')
   cout << "h is a";
else if (h == 'b')
   cout << "h is b";
else if (h == 'c')
//...and so on 

or you can simply use switch to select whitch way program should continue:

char h;
//...
switch (h)
{
case 'a':
   cout << "h is a"; break;
case 'b':
   cout << "h is b"; break;
case ..... 
}

switch statement making program a lot more synoptical

there are some things you should know:
every case label should end witch break;
you don't have to using {} between labels

switch (h)
{
case 'a':
   cout << "h is a";
   cout << "...";
   break;
//....
}

if you don't use break, program will continue in code below:

switch (h)
{
case 'a':
   cout << "h is a"; //now program will follow after next label
case 'b':
   cout << "In this moment h can be b, or a";

this can be used to couple more case labels into one code:

switch (h)
{
case 'a':
case 'b':
   cout << "h is a or b"; break;
}

and the last thing - default label
code in default label is done, when other labels cannot be done (that means when tested variable (in out example char h) is not equal to any label)

switch (h)
{
case 'a':
//....

default:
   cout << "I don't know what is h";
}

switch statement can be used with any numerical type (char, int, ...) but not witch text (char *).

[cplusplusking]

thank you very much...im still new to programming :\

[fcisconj]

Hey CPlusPlusKing... i've been stuck on some c++ lingo in the past and cplusplus.com came through like a champ .. but i've gotten stuck on this switch case statement i went to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switch_statement

and that explained so much.. i know switch case very well now