What are the differences between switch statements and if-else statements?

What are the differences between switch statements and if-else statements?

Switch statements and if-else statements are both used for conditional execution, but they have different use cases. Switch is generally more readable for multiple discrete values, while if-else is more flexible for complex conditions.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! For a switch statement:

switch (fruit) {
  case 'apple':
    console.log('Apple selected');
    break;
  case 'banana':
    console.log('Banana selected');
    break;
  default:
    console.log('No fruit selected');
}

And for an if-else:

if (fruit === 'apple') {
  console.log('Apple selected');
} else if (fruit === 'banana') {
  console.log('Banana selected');
} else {
  console.log('No fruit selected');
}

When should I use one over the other?

Use switch statements when you have multiple specific values to compare against a single variable. Use if-else when you need to evaluate complex conditions or ranges.

Are there performance differences between them?

In most cases, the performance difference is negligible. However, switch statements can be optimized by the compiler in some languages, making them faster for many cases.