Introduction
The if-else statement is a fundamental control flow structure that allows you to execute different blocks of code based on certain conditions. In C#, there are several forms of the if-else statement:
- if Statement
- if-else Statement
- Nested if Statement
- if-else-if Ladder
1. if Statement
The if statement executes a block of code if a specified condition is true.
Syntax
if (condition)
{
// Code to execute if condition is true
}
Example
using System;
namespace IfStatementExample
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int number = 10;
// Check if number is greater than 5
if (number > 5)
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is greater than 5.");
}
// This will always be executed
Console.WriteLine("Program finished.");
}
}
}
Output:
The number is greater than 5.
Program finished.
2. if-else Statement
The if-else statement executes one block of code if a condition is true and another block of code if the condition is false.
Syntax
if (condition)
{
// Code to execute if condition is true
}
else
{
// Code to execute if condition is false
}
Example
using System;
namespace IfElseStatementExample
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int number = 3;
// Check if number is greater than 5
if (number > 5)
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is greater than 5.");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is 5 or less.");
}
// This will always be executed
Console.WriteLine("Program finished.");
}
}
}
Output:
The number is 5 or less.
Program finished.
3. Nested if Statement
A nested if statement is an if statement inside another if statement. This allows for checking multiple conditions.
Syntax
if (condition1)
{
// Code to execute if condition1 is true
if (condition2)
{
// Code to execute if condition2 is also true
}
}
Example
using System;
namespace NestedIfStatementExample
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int number = 10;
// Check if number is greater than 5
if (number > 5)
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is greater than 5.");
// Check if number is even
if (number % 2 == 0)
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is even.");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is odd.");
}
}
// This will always be executed
Console.WriteLine("Program finished.");
}
}
}
Output:
The number is greater than 5.
The number is even.
Program finished.
4. if-else-if Ladder
The if-else-if ladder allows you to test multiple conditions sequentially. The first true condition’s block of code will be executed.
Syntax
if (condition1)
{
// Code to execute if condition1 is true
}
else if (condition2)
{
// Code to execute if condition2 is true
}
else if (condition3)
{
// Code to execute if condition3 is true
}
else
{
// Code to execute if none of the above conditions are true
}
Example
using System;
namespace IfElseIfLadderExample
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
int number = 15;
// Check multiple conditions using if-else-if ladder
if (number < 0)
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is negative.");
}
else if (number == 0)
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is zero.");
}
else if (number > 0 && number <= 10)
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is between 1 and 10.");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("The number is greater than 10.");
}
// This will always be executed
Console.WriteLine("Program finished.");
}
}
}
Output:
The number is greater than 10.
Program finished.
Conclusion
The if-else statement in C# is used for controlling the flow of a program based on conditions. By using if statements, if-else statements, nested if statements, and if-else-if ladders, you can handle complex decision-making in your programs. Understanding these constructs is essential for writing flexible and dynamic code.