Conditional Statements in JavaScript

Conditional statements are an essential part of programming in JavaScript, allowing developers to control the flow of their code based on specific conditions. These statements enable the execution of different blocks of code depending on whether a condition evaluates to true or false. In JavaScript, there are primarily three types of conditional statements: if, else if, and else statements, along with the switch statement. Let’s explore each of these in detail.

1. If Statement:

The if statement is one of the most fundamental conditional statements in JavaScript. It allows you to execute a block of code if a specified condition evaluates to true.

if (condition) {
    // Block of code to be executed if the condition is true
}

Here’s an example:

let x = 10;
if (x > 5) { 
console.log("x is greater than 5"); 
}

2. Else If Statement:

The else if statement is used in conjunction with the if statement to specify a new condition if the previous condition evaluates to false.

if (condition1) {
// Block of code to be executed if condition1 is true 

} else if (condition2) { 

// Block of code to be executed if condition2 is true 

} else { 

// Block of code to be executed if neither condition1 nor condition2 is true 

}

Example:

let x = 10; 
if (x > 10) { 
console.log("x is greater than 10"); 
} else if (x === 10) 
{
    console.log("x is equal to 10"); 
} else {
    console.log("x is less than 10"); 
}

3. Else Statement:

The else statement is used to execute a block of code if the condition in the if statement evaluates to false.

if (condition) { 
// Block of code to be executed if the condition is true 
} else {
    // Block of code to be executed if the condition is false 
}

Example:

let x = 10; 
if (x > 10) { 
console.log("x is greater than 10"); 
} else {
    console.log("x is not greater than 10"); 
}

4. Switch Statement:

The switch statement is used to perform different actions based on different conditions. It evaluates an expression and executes the corresponding case.

switch (expression) { 
case value1:
        // Block of code to be executed if expression === value1
        break; 
case value2:
        // Block of code to be executed if expression === value2
        break; 
default:
        // Block of code to be executed if expression does not match any case 
}

Example:

let day = 3; 
switch (day) 
{
    case 1:
        console.log("Monday"); 
break; 
case 2: 
console.log("Tuesday"); 
break;
    case 3:
        console.log("Wednesday"); 
break;
    default:
        console.log("Unknown day");
}

Conditional statements are powerful tools that allow developers to write flexible and dynamic code, enabling the execution of different code blocks based on specific conditions. Mastering conditional statements is essential for any JavaScript developer looking to build robust and efficient applications.