C program to print day of week using switch-case

Understanding the Problem

• The goal is to create a C program that determines the day of the week based on a given numerical input (1-7) and prints the corresponding day name 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 dayNumber;

    printf("Enter a day number (1-7): ");
    scanf("%d", &dayNumber);

    switch (dayNumber) {
        case 1:
            printf("Day of the week: Monday\n");
            break;
        case 2:
            printf("Day of the week: Tuesday\n");
            break;
        case 3:
            printf("Day of the week: Wednesday\n");
            break;
        case 4:
            printf("Day of the week: Thursday\n");
            break;
        case 5:
            printf("Day of the week: Friday\n");
            break;
        case 6:
            printf("Day of the week: Saturday\n");
            break;
        case 7:
            printf("Day of the week: Sunday\n");
            break;
        default:
            printf("Invalid day number\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 dayNumber; declares an integer variable to store the user’s input.
4. User Input: printf prompts the user to enter a day number, and scanf reads the input and stores it in dayNumber.
5. Switch Statement:
   • The switch (dayNumber) statement evaluates the value of dayNumber.
   • Each case label represents a valid day number (1-7).
   • If dayNumber matches a case label, the corresponding code block executes, printing the associated day name.
   • The break statement exits the switch statement after executing a case block.
   • The default case handles any value of dayNumber that doesn’t match the specified cases, indicating an invalid input.
6. 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 loop to allow for repeated day number entry and day name printing if needed.
• For more advanced date and time handling, explore C’s standard library functions like time.h.