Switch Statements in Go
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Switch statements are a way to compare a value against multiple options. They are similar to if-else statements but are more concise and readable when the number of options is more than 2.
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func getCreator(os string) string {
var creator string
switch os {
case "linux":
creator = "Linus Torvalds"
case "windows":
creator = "Bill Gates"
case "mac":
creator = "A Steve"
default:
creator = "Unknown"
}
return creator
}
Notice that in Go, the break statement is not required at the end of a case to stop it from falling through to the next case. The break statement is implicit in Go.
Fallthrough
If you do want a case to fall through to the next case, you can use the fallthrough keyword.
func getCreator(os string) string {
var creator string
switch os {
case "linux":
creator = "Linus Torvalds"
case "windows":
creator = "Bill Gates"
// all three of these cases will set creator to "A Steve"
case "macOS":
fallthrough
case "Mac OS X":
fallthrough
case "mac":
creator = "A Steve"
default:
creator = "Unknown"
}
return creator
}
Default
The default case does what you'd expect: it's the case that runs if none of the other cases match.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a switch statement in Go?
A switch statement compares a value against multiple options. It is more concise and readable than if-else statements when there are more than two options.
Does a Go switch statement need break?
No. The break statement is implicit in Go, so a case does not fall through to the next case automatically.
How do you make a Go switch case fall through?
Use the fallthrough keyword when you want a case to fall through to the next case.
What does default do in a Go switch statement?
The default case runs if none of the other cases match.
