Conditional Statements
15-110 Summer 2010
Margaret Reid-Miller
Summer 2010 15-110 (Reid-Miller) 2
Conditional statements
• Within a method, we can alter the flow of control
(the order in which statements are executed)
using either conditionals or loops.
• The conditional statements if, if-else, and
switch allow us to choose which statement will
be executed next.
• Each choice or decision is based on the value of
a boolean expression (also called the condition).
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The if statement
• If we have code that we sometimes want to execute
and sometimes we want to skip we can use the if
statement.
• The form of the if statement is
if (boolean_expression)
statement
• If boolean_expression evaluates to true, then
statement is executed.
• If boolean_expression evaluates to false, then
statement is skipped.
• Note that the boolean_expression enclosed in
parentheses must evaluate to true or false.
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The if Flowchart
boolean_expression
statement
true
false
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if-Statement Examples
!if (count > 0) !
average = total / count;!
if (age >= 26) !
!if (hasLicense == true)!
!System.out.println(“You may rent a car.”);!
daysInFeb = 28;!
! if (isLeapYear) {!
daysInFeb = 29;!
System.out.println(year + “ is a leap year.”);!
}!
Or simply
hasLicense
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The if Statement
• The statement in the if statement can be any Java
statement:
• A simple statement
• A compound statement, such as an if statement
• A block statement, a group of statements
enclosed in braces {}
if (zipcode == 15213) {!
city = “Pittsburgh”;!
state = “PA”;!
}!
Proper indentation
becomes essential!
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The if-else Statement
• If we want to choose between two alternative we use
the if/else statement:
if (boolean_expression)!
statement1!
else !
! statement2!
• If boolean_expression evaluates to true, then
statement1 is executed.
• If boolean_expression evaluates to false, then
statement2 is executed.
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The if-else Flowchart
boolean_expression
statement1
true false!
statement2
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if-else Statement Examples
!if (temperature <= 32.0) {!
! forecast = “SNOW”; !
!} !
else {!
forecast = “RAIN”;!
!}
!if (count > 0) { !
! average = total / count; !
!} !
else {!
! System.out.println(“No data to average.”);!
!}
The then clause
The else clause
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Common Error 1
• When you want to test if the value of a
variable is in a range.
!if (0 < temperature < 100) { !
! state = “LIQUID”; !
!}!
WRONG!!
if (0 < temperature && temperature < 100) { !
!state = “LIQUID”; !
}!
Correct
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Common Error 2
• When you want to test if the value of a
variable is one of two alternates.
!if (choice == ‘M’ || ‘L’) { !
! System.out.println(“You’re correct!”); !
!}!
WRONG!!
if (choice == ‘M’ || choice == ‘L’) { !
! System.out.println(“You’re correct!”); !
}!
Correct
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The Dangling else Problem
• When an if statement is nested inside the then
clause of another if statement, the else clause is
paired with the closest if statement without an else
clause.
if (x > 0) !
if (y > 0)!
color = “red”; !
else !
color = “blue”;
Misleading
indentation
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The Dangling else Problem
• In reality it is
if (x > 0) !
if (y > 0)!
color = “red”; !
else !
color = “blue”;
y
x
y
x
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The Dangling else Problem
• Use braces to pair else
with the outer if
if (x > 0) {!
if (y > 0)!
color = “red”; !
} !
else {!
color = “blue”;!
}!
• Compare flowcharts!
y
x
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Multiple Alternatives
• Determine if a number is positive, negative, or zero:
if (value < 0) {!
!System.out.println(“Value is negative.”);!
} !
if (value == 0) {!
!System.out.println(“Value is zero.”);!
}!
if (value > 0) {!
!System.out.println(“Value is positive.”);!
}!
Computer thinks any combination of
the three statements can be executed.
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Multiple Alternatives
• Determine if a number is positive, negative, or zero
if (value < 0) {!
! System.out.println(“Value is negative.”);!
} !
else {!
! if (value == 0) {!
!! System.out.println(“Value is zero.”);!
! } !
else {!
!! if (value > 0) {!
!! ! System.out.println(“Value is positive.”);!
!! }!
! }!
}!
At most one statement is executed.
Leads to lots of indentation.
Summer 2010
• Determine if a number is positive, negative, or zero
if (value < 0) {!
! System.out.println(“Value is negative.”);!
} !
else {!
! if (value == 0) {!
!! System.out.println(“Value is zero.”);!
! } !
else {!
!! if (value > 0) {!
!! ! System.out.println(“Value is positive.”);!
!! }!
! }!
}!
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Multiple Alternatives
Remove unnecessary
brackets and re-indent
{
{
}
}!
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Multiple Alternatives
• Determine if a number is positive, negative, or zero:
if (value < 0) {!
! System.out.println(“Value is negative.”);!
} !
else if (value == 0) {!
!!System.out.println(“Value is zero.”);!
} !
else if (value > 0) {!
!!System.out.println(“Value is positive.”);!
}!
At most one statement is executed.
Each choice, however, is at same indentation.
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Multiple Alternatives
• Determine if a number is positive, negative, or zero:
if (value < 0) {!
!System.out.println(“Value is negative.”);!
} !
else if (value == 0) {!
!!System.out.println(“Value is zero.”);!
} !
else { // value must be positive!
!!System.out.println(“Value is positive.”);!
}!
It is clear, exactly one statement is executed.
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Multiple Alternatives: Assignments
• Determine the fare: $2 for a child (no more than 11
years), $3 for a senior (at least 65 years), or $5 for an
adult.
int fare;!
if (age _______) {!
!fare = 2;!
} !
else if (age __________) { // _____________________!
!fare = 5;!
} !
else { // ________________!
!fare = 3;!
}!
System.out.println(“Your fare is $“ + fare);!
fare must be defined
before the if statement
last clause must be
else with no if
Exercise
• Write a method that prints how many of n1, n2, and
n3 are odd:
public void printNumOdd(int n1, int n2, int n3) {!
}!
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Exercise
• Write a method that print whether die1 and die2 are
doubles, cat’s eyes (two 1’s) or neither of these.
public void printDoubles(int die1, int die2) {!
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Programming Style
• Single-line if statement:
if (y > 0) color = “red”;!
• Multi-line if statement:
if (zipcode == 15213) {!
city = “Pittsburgh”;!
state = “PA”;!
}
• The if-else statement:
if (temperature <= 32.0) {!
forecast = “SNOW”; !
} !
else {!
forecast = “RAIN”;!
}!
• Multiple alternatives:
if (value < 0) {!
valueType = “negative”;!
} !
else if (value == 0) {!
valueType = “zero”;!
} !
else { // no if here!!!
valueType = “positive”;!
}!
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Testing For Equality
• For primitive values use == for equality testing.
• For objects, use the equals method for testing
equal contents.
• The argument must be the same type as the object on which
equals() is called. The method returns true or false
depending on whether both objects are “equal” or not.
• For example, let day be an int variable and month
be a String variable.
! if (day == 1 && month.equals(“APRIL”)) {!
! System.out.println(“It’s April Fool’s Day”);!
}
Two String objects are equal if they have exactly the same
characters, including case and number of characters.
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Testing for Equality with doubles
• Which statement will Java print?
double x = Math.sqrt(2.0);!
double y = x * x;!
if (y == 2.0) {!
!System.out.println("sqrt(2) * sqrt(2) is 2");!
} !
else {!
!System.out.println("sqrt(2) * sqrt(2) “!
! ! ! !+ “is not 2. It is " + y);!
}!
Never test for exact equality
with floating point numbers!
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Testing for Equality with doubles
• Because of round-off errors, you should test if the
numbers are close.
double tolerance = 1.0e-10;!
double x = Math.sqrt(2.0);!
double y = x * x; !
if (Math.abs(y - 2.0) < tolerance) {!
!System.out.println("sqrt(2) * sqrt(2) is 2");!
} !
else {!
!System.out.println("sqrt(2) * sqrt(2) “!
! ! ! !+ “is not 2. It is " + y);!
}!
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Short-Circuit Evaluation
• Short circuit evaluation (or lazy evaluation) : If the first
conditional in an && expression is false, Java does
not execute the second conditional.
Example:
! if (liters > 0 && total/liters > threshold) {!
! System.out.println(“WARNING: Exceeds threshold”);!
}
What if the expression was an || expression?
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The switch statement
• If an if/else statement with multiple alternatives
compares an int or char variable or expression
against several constants you can use a switch
statement.
Example:
!switch (suitAsChar) {!
!case ‘C’: suitAsName = “Clubs”; break;!
!case ‘D’: suitAsName = “Diamonds”; break;!
!case ‘H’: suitAsName = “Hearts”; break;!
!case ‘S’: suitAsName = “Spades”; break;!
!default: suitAsName = “Unknown”;!
}!
