{"id":62,"date":"2021-03-08T00:08:06","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T00:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phptutorial.net\/?page_id=62"},"modified":"2025-04-06T01:46:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T01:46:53","slug":"php-switch","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.phptutorial.net\/php-tutorial\/php-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"PHP switch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: In this tutorial, you will learn about the PHP switch statement, which executes a code block by matching an expression with multiple values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the PHP switch statement #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the value of a single variable determines the number of different choices, you can use the if...elseif<\/a><\/code> statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suppose that you’re building a website whose users have many roles like admin, editor, author, and subscriber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following example uses an if elseif<\/code> statement to display a different message based on the role of the user:<\/p>\n\n\n

<?php<\/span>\n\n$role = 'subscriber'<\/span>;\n$message = ''<\/span>;\n\nif<\/span> ('admin'<\/span> === $role) {\n\t$message = 'Welcome, admin!'<\/span>;\n} elseif<\/span> ('editor'<\/span> === $role) {\n\t$message = 'Welcome! You have some pending articles to edit'<\/span>;\n} elseif<\/span> ('author'<\/span> === $role) {\n\t$message = 'Welcome! Do you want to publish the draft article?'<\/span>;\n} elseif<\/span> ('subscriber'<\/span> === $role) {\n\t$message = 'Welcome! Check out some new articles.'<\/span>;\n} else<\/span> {\n\t$message = 'Sorry! You are not authorized to access this page'<\/span>;\n}\n\necho<\/span> $message;\n<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> HTML, XML<\/span> (<\/span>xml<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
Welcome! Check out some new<\/span> articles.<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
When the value of a single variable specifies the number of different choices, it’s much cleaner to use the switch<\/code> statement like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$role = 'admin'<\/span>;\n$message = ''<\/span>;\n\nswitch<\/span> ($role) {\n\tcase<\/span> 'admin'<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'Welcome, admin!'<\/span>;\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> 'editor'<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'Welcome! You have some pending articles to edit'<\/span>;\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> 'author'<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'Welcome! Do you want to publish the draft article?'<\/span>;\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> 'subscriber'<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'Welcome! Check out some new articles.'<\/span>;\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tdefault<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'You are not authorized to access this page'<\/span>;\n}\n\necho<\/span> $message;<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> HTML, XML<\/span> (<\/span>xml<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The following illustrates the syntax of the switch<\/code> statement:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\nswitch<\/span> (expression) {\n\tcase<\/span> value1:\n\t\t\/\/ code block 1<\/span>\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> value2:\n\t\t\/\/ code block 2<\/span>\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> value3:\n\t\t\/\/ code block 3<\/span>\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tdefault<\/span>:\n\t\t\/\/ default code block<\/span>\n}\n<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> HTML, XML<\/span> (<\/span>xml<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The switch<\/code> statement compares an expression<\/code> with the value in each case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the expression equals a value in a case, e.g., value1<\/code>, PHP executes the code block in the matching case until it encounters the first break<\/code> statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there’s no match and the default<\/code> is available, PHP executes all statements following the default<\/code> keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In case the default<\/code> is not specified, and there’s no match, the control is passed to the statement that follows the switch<\/code> statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following flowchart illustrates how the switch<\/code> statement works:<\/p>\n\n\n
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\"PHP<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Combining cases #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Since PHP executes the switch<\/code> statement from the matching case label till it encounters the break<\/code> statement, you can combine several cases in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the switch statement and combines the cases of 'editor'<\/code> and 'author'<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\n$message = ''<\/span>;\n$role = 'author'<\/span>;\n\nswitch<\/span> ($role) {\n\tcase<\/span> 'admin'<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'Welcome, admin!'<\/span>;\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> 'editor'<\/span>:\n\tcase<\/span> 'author'<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'Welcome! Do you want to create a new article?'<\/span>;\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> 'subscriber'<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'Welcome! Check out some new articles.'<\/span>;\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tdefault<\/span>:\n\t\t$message = 'You are not authorized to access this page'<\/span>;\n}\n\necho<\/span> $message;<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> HTML, XML<\/span> (<\/span>xml<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
Welcome! Do<\/span> you want to create a new<\/span> article?<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> PHP<\/span> (<\/span>php<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this example, if the role<\/code> is editor<\/code> or author, it’ll show the same message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PHP switch statement’s alternative syntax #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
PHP also supports the alternative syntax for the switch<\/code> statement as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n
<?php<\/span>\n\nswitch<\/span> (expression):\n\tcase<\/span> value1:\n\t\t\/\/ code block 1<\/span>\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\tcase<\/span> value2:\n\t\t\/\/ code block 2<\/span>\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\n\n\tdefault<\/span>:\n\t\t\/\/ default code block<\/span>\n\t\tbreak<\/span>;\nendswitch<\/span>;<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> HTML, XML<\/span> (<\/span>xml<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The alternative syntax is suitable for mixing with the HTML code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Use PHP switch<\/code> statement instead of a series of if<\/code> statements on the same expression.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    Did you find this tutorial useful?<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t Yes <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/path>\n\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t No <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\t
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Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n