What are the performance differences between if and switch statements?

What are the performance differences between if and switch statements?

The performance differences can vary based on the context and the number of conditions. Generally, if statements are more flexible, while switch statements can be more efficient with many cases.

In what scenarios should I prefer switch over if?

You should prefer switch statements when you have multiple discrete values to compare against a single variable, as it can be more readable and potentially faster.

Are there any performance benchmarks comparing the two?

Yes, benchmarks often show that switch statements can outperform if statements when dealing with a large number of cases, but the difference is usually minimal for a small number of conditions.

Does the programming language affect the performance of if vs switch?

Absolutely! Different languages have different optimizations for if and switch statements, so performance can vary significantly.