How to Use a Switch case 'or' in PHP


PHP: PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open-source server-side scripting language that is specifically designed for web development. It was originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 and has since evolved into a powerful language used by millions of developers worldwide.

PHP is primarily used to develop dynamic web pages and web applications. It allows developers to embed PHP code within HTML, making it easy to mix server-side logic with the presentation layer. PHP scripts are executed on the server, and the resulting HTML is sent to the client's browser.

In PHP, the switch-case statement does not directly support the logical OR (||) operator to combine multiple cases. However, there are a few approaches you can use to achieve similar functionality:

Using If-Else Statements

Instead of using a switch statement, you can utilize if-else statements with logical "or" operators. Here's an example:

php
$value = 2;

if ($value == 1 || $value == 2 || $value == 3) {
   // Code to be executed if $value is 1, 2, or 3
   echo "Value is 1, 2, or 3";
} elseif ($value == 4) {
   // Code to be executed if $value is 4
   echo "Value is 4";
} else {
   // Code to be executed if $value doesn't match any condition
   echo "Value is not 1, 2, 3, or 4";
}

In this example, the if-else statements check multiple conditions using the logical "or" (||) operator. If any of the conditions evaluate to true, the corresponding code block will be executed.

The first condition checks if $value is equal to 1, 2, or 3. If true, it executes the code block and displays "Value is 1, 2, or 3". The elseif condition checks if $value is equal to 4. If true, it executes the corresponding code block and displays "Value is 4". If none of the conditions match, the else block is executed, displaying "Value is not 1, 2, 3, or 4".

You can extend the if-else ladder to include more conditions as per your requirements.

Using an Array and in_array()

Using an array and the in_array() function is another approach to achieve a similar effect to a switch case with logical "or" conditions in PHP. Here's an example:

php
$value = 2;
$validValues = [1, 2, 3];

if (in_array($value, $validValues)) {
   // Code to be executed if $value is 1, 2, or 3
   echo "Value is 1, 2, or 3";
} elseif ($value == 4) {
   // Code to be executed if $value is 4
   echo "Value is 4";
} else {
   // Code to be executed if $value doesn't match any condition
   echo "Value is not 1, 2, 3, or 4";
}

In this example, we define an array $validValues that contains the values we want to check against. The in_array() function is used to determine if $value exists within the array. If $value is found in the array, the corresponding code block is executed and "Value is 1, 2, or 3" is displayed.

If $value is not found in the array, the execution moves to the elseif condition and checks if $value is equal to 4. If true, it executes the corresponding code block and displays "Value is 4".

If neither condition matches, the else block is executed, displaying "Value is not 1, 2, 3, or 4".

By utilizing an array and the in_array() function, you can easily handle multiple values with the same outcome, providing a flexible alternative to a switch case with logical "or" conditions.

Conclusion

Although there is no direct way to use an "or" condition within a switch statement in PHP, you can achieve similar functionality using if-else statements or nested switch statements. The choice between these approaches depends on your specific requirements and the complexity of your logic. Both approaches offer flexibility and can be used to handle multiple conditions with the same outcome.

Updated on: 01-Aug-2023

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