Else If Statements

Sophie Anderson

7 min read

Next Topic - Compound Boolean Expressions

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Study Guide Overview

This study guide covers multi-way selection using if-else if-else statements in Java. It explains the structure, importance of condition order, common mistakes like missing braces and incorrect indentation, and how to use return statements. It provides examples for divisibility checks and leap year determination. The guide also includes exam tips, focusing on tracing code, testing boundary cases, and time management, along with practice questions and solutions covering multiple-choice and free-response scenarios.

#AP Computer Science A: Multi-Way Selection Mastery 🚀

Hey there, future AP CS rockstar! Let's dive into the world of if-else if-else statements, your secret weapon for handling multiple conditions. Think of it as a decision-making super tool! This guide is designed to be your go-to resource, especially the night before the exam. Let's make sure you're feeling confident and ready to ace it!

#Multi-Way Selection: `if-else if-else` Statements

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Quick Fact

The Power of else if

if-else statements are great, but what if you have more than two possible outcomes? That's where else if comes to the rescue!
An else if statement checks a new condition only if all previous if and else if conditions were false.
You can have as many else if statements as you need, allowing you to handle a wide range of scenarios.
There's only one if and at most one else in a multi-way selection structure.

#Anatomy of an `if-else if-else` Statement

java
// Some code runs before
if (condition1) {
    // Code that runs if condition1 is true
} else if (condition2) {
    // Code that runs if condition2 is true, and condition1 is false
} else if (condition3) {
    // Code that runs if condition3 is true, and condition1 and condition2 are false
} // ... more else if statements if needed
else {
    // Code that runs if none of the above conditions are true
}

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Key Concept

Key Concept: Order Matters!

The order of your conditions is crucial. The first condition that evaluates to true will execute its corresponding code block, and the rest are skipped.
Place more restrictive conditions before less restrictive ones. Think of it like a filter – the most specific filters should come first.

#Example 1: Divisibility Counter

Let's say you want to find the largest divisor of a number between 1 and 10. Here's how you can do it:

java
public static int largestDivisorLessThanTen(int numbe...

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Previous Topic - If-Else Statements Next Topic - Compound Boolean Expressions

Question 1 of 8

What will be the output of the following code snippet? 🤔

java
int num = 10;
if (num < 5) {
  System.out.print("Less");
} else if (num > 5) {
  System.out.print("Greater");
} else {
  System.out.print("Equal");
}

Less

Greater

Equal

No output