C program to accept id from user to confirm department using switch-case

Understanding the Problem

• The program aims to collect an ID from the user and identify their corresponding department using a switch-case structure.
• This structure offers a clear and efficient way to handle multiple conditional branches based on a single variable’s value.

Code Structure and Explanation

C

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int id;

    printf("Enter your ID: ");
    scanf("%d", &id);

    switch (id) {
        case 100:
            printf("Department: Computer Science\n");
            break;
        case 200:
            printf("Department: Electronics\n");
            break;
        case 300:
            printf("Department: Mechanical\n");
            break;
        default:
            printf("Invalid ID\n");
            break;
    }

    return 0;
}

Explanation:

1. Header Inclusion: #include <stdio.h> provides input/output functions like printf and scanf.
2. Main Function: The program’s execution begins in the main function.
3. Variable Declaration: int id; declares an integer variable to store the user’s ID.
4. User Input: printf prompts the user to enter their ID, and scanf reads the input and stores it in the id variable.
5. Switch Statement:
   • The switch (id) statement evaluates the value of id.
   • Each case label represents a potential value of id.
   • If id matches a case label, the corresponding code block executes.
   • The break statement exits the switch statement after executing a case block.
   • The default case handles any value of id that doesn’t match the specified cases.
6. Department Output: The appropriate department is printed based on the matching case.
7. Invalid ID Handling: If id doesn’t match any case, the default block prints “Invalid ID”.
8. Return Statement: return 0; indicates successful program termination.

Key Points:

• The switch-case structure provides a clean and efficient way to handle multiple conditional branches based on a single variable’s value.
• It’s often preferred over multiple if-else if statements when dealing with several possible values for a variable.
• Ensure each case block has a break statement to prevent unintended execution of subsequent cases.
• The default case is optional but serves as a catch-all for unexpected values.
• Consider using a while loop to allow for repeated ID entry and department confirmation if needed.