Deciphering Alphabets: Understanding Java Conditional Statements

The Quest Begins: If…Else Statement

Imagine you’re tasked with writing a program to identify whether a given alphabet is a vowel or consonant. One approach is to utilize an if…else statement. Let’s dive into the code!

char ch = 'i';
if (ch == 'a' || ch == 'e' || ch == 'i' || ch == 'o' || ch == 'u') {
    System.out.println("vowel");
} else {
    System.out.println("consonant");
}

In our example, we store the character ‘i’ in a char variable ch. Java differentiates between strings (double quotes ” “) and characters (single quotes ‘). To determine if ch is a vowel, we use a simple if…else statement to check if it matches any of the vowel characters (‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, ‘u’).

The Alternative Route: Switch Statement

But what if we want to simplify our code? That’s where the switch statement comes into play. By replacing the lengthy if condition with a switch case statement, we can achieve the same result with greater elegance.

char ch = 'i';
switch (ch) {
    case 'a':
    case 'e':
    case 'i':
    case 'o':
    case 'u':
        System.out.println("vowel");
        break;
    default:
        System.out.println("consonant");
}

In our revised program, we use a switch statement to examine the value of ch. If it matches any of the vowel cases (‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, ‘u’), the program prints “vowel”. Otherwise, the default case is executed, and “consonant” is printed on the screen.

Expanding Your Horizons

Now that you’ve grasped the basics of if…else and switch statements, why not explore more advanced Java concepts? Here are some ideas:

  • Write a program to find the largest element in an array.
  • Explore the use of conditional statements in loops.
  • Learn about advanced topics like recursion and lambda expressions.

The possibilities are endless!

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