Decision making in programming refers to the process of executing a particular block of code among many alternatives based on certain conditions. In C#, decision-making structures require the evaluation of expressions that return true or false. This chapter delves into the foundational decision-making constructs in C#, including if, else if, else, and switch statements, which allow you to control the flow of your program based on conditions.
Decision making in programming refers to the process of executing a particular block of code among many alternatives based on certain conditions. In C#, decision-making structures require the evaluation of expressions that return true or false. This chapter delves into the foundational decision-making constructs in C#, including if, else if, else, and switch statements, which allow you to control the flow of your program based on conditions.
If Statement
The if statement evaluates a condition. If the condition is true, it executes a block of code.
int age = 18;
if (age >= 18)
{
Console.WriteLine("You are an adult.");
}
Else If and Else
To specify a new condition if the first condition is false, use else if. To execute a block of code when all conditions are false, use else.
if (age < 13)
{
Console.WriteLine("You are a child.");
}
else if (age < 18)
{
Console.WriteLine("You are a teenager.");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("You are an adult.");
}
Switch Statement
The switch statement allows a variable to be tested for equality against a list of values. Each value is called a case, and the variable being switched on is checked for each case.
int day = 4;
switch (day)
{
case 1:
Console.WriteLine("Monday");
break;
case 2:
Console.WriteLine("Tuesday");
break;
case 3:
Console.WriteLine("Wednesday");
break;
case 4:
Console.WriteLine("Thursday");
break;
case 5:
Console.WriteLine("Friday");
break;
case 6:
Console.WriteLine("Saturday");
break;
case 7:
Console.WriteLine("Sunday");
break;
}
The Importance of Decision Making
Decision-making structures are vital in programming as they allow the software to respond differently to various inputs or situations. Whether it’s calculating user scores, validating form inputs, or determining the flow of a game, decision-making enables dynamic and responsive software development.
Best Practices for Decision Making
Keep it Simple: Avoid overly complex conditions. If a condition is getting too complicated, consider breaking it down into multiple statements or using boolean variables.
Consistency: Be consistent in how you structure your decision-making statements. It makes your code easier to read and maintain.
Avoid Magic Numbers: Use named constants instead of hard-coding numbers into your conditions, making your code more understandable.
Comment Your Logic: Especially for complex decision-making logic, comments can help explain the purpose and expected outcome of the code block.
Summary
Mastering decision-making constructs in C# enables you to control the flow of your programs effectively, making your applications dynamic and responsive to user input and other conditions. This chapter covered the basics, including if, else if, else, and switch statements. As you become more comfortable with these structures, you'll find them indispensable for creating sophisticated software that responds intelligently to a wide array of scenarios.
In C#, delegates and events are foundational concepts that enable a flexible and extensible way to handle method callbacks and notifications. They play a crucial role in designing and implementing event-driven programming patterns, which are central to developing interactive applications such as graphical user interfaces, game development, and service-oriented applications. This chapter introduces delegates and events, explaining their uses, syntax, and how they enable managed event handling in C#.
Encapsulation is a fundamental concept in object-oriented programming (OOP) that involves bundling the data (attributes) and methods (functions) that operate on the data into a single unit, known as a class. It also restricts direct access to some of the object's components, which is a way of preventing accidental manipulation of data and ensuring internal data integrity. This principle of hiding the internal state and requiring all interaction to occur through an object's methods is central to C#. This chapter explains the concept of encapsulation and demonstrates how to implement it in C# through access modifiers and properties.
Functions are a cornerstone of programming, allowing developers to encapsulate code that performs a specific task into a reusable and maintainable block. In C#, functions are defined within classes or structs, and they are referred to as methods. This chapter will dive into the basics of defining and using functions in C#, covering their syntax, types, parameters, and return values. Understanding functions is crucial for both beginners and intermediate developers, as they provide the building blocks for structuring and organizing code in any application.
Made with Bullet