Understanding Dart Conditional Statements for Effective Programming
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Conditional Statements
Conditional statements in programming are essential for decision-making and executing specific actions based on whether certain criteria are fulfilled. This tutorial is part of a series focused on Dart programming.
The core types of conditional statements in Dart include:
- if statement
- if … else statement
- if … else if … statement
- switch statement
- nested statements
Basic If Statement
The simplest form of a conditional statement is the if statement. Here's a basic example:
void main() {
int gameScore = 100;
if (gameScore == 100) {
print("Perfect");}
}
This code will produce the output:
Perfect
In simple terms, this means that if gameScore equals 100, it prints "Perfect".
If … Else Statement
There are instances where the condition is not met, and you want to execute an alternative action. This is where the else clause comes into play, providing a safeguard against unexpected outcomes.
void main() {
int gameScore = 99;
if (gameScore == 100) {
print("Perfect");} else {
print("You failed to get the perfect score");}
}
The output will be:
You failed to get the perfect score
In this case, the else action was triggered because gameScore was not 100.
The Ternary Operator
Let's briefly explore the ternary operator, a concise way to express if … else statements. The syntax for this operator is as follows:
Condition ? True : False;
To illustrate this, we can rewrite the previous example using the ternary operator:
void main() {
int gameScore = 99;
print(gameScore == 100 ? "Perfect" : "You failed to get the perfect score");
}
The output remains:
You failed to get the perfect score
If … Else If Statement
For more complex scenarios where multiple options are required, the else if clause can be added to the structure.
void main() {
int gameScore = 50;
if (gameScore == 100) {
print("Perfect");} else if (gameScore >= 80) {
print("Average");} else if (gameScore >= 50) {
print("Below Average");} else if (gameScore >= 20) {
print("Beginner");} else {
print("Not in range");}
}
The output will be:
Below Average
For clarification on operators like >=, further resources can be referenced.
Switch Statement
A switch statement offers a more structured and readable approach to handling fixed values.
void main() {
int gameScore = 4;
switch (gameScore) {
case 5:
print("Perfect");
break;
case 4:
print("Above Average");
break;
case 3:
print("Average");
break;
case 2:
print("Below Average");
break;
case 1:
print("Beginner");
break;
default:
print("Not in range");}
}
Output:
Above Average
Some developers prefer a more concise format:
void main() {
int gameScore = 4;
switch (gameScore) {
case 5: print("Perfect"); break;
case 4: print("Above Average"); break;
case 3: print("Average"); break;
case 2: print("Below Average"); break;
case 1: print("Beginner"); break;
default: print("Not in range");
}
}
Nested Statements
It's also feasible to nest if statements or case statements within each other, creating a more intricate conditional structure.
void main() {
int gameScore = 5;
int previousScore = 3;
switch (gameScore) {
case 5:
print("Perfect");
if (gameScore > previousScore) {
print("You're qualified for the next level");}
break;
case 4: print("Above Average"); break;
case 3: print("Average"); break;
case 2: print("Below Average"); break;
case 1:
print("Beginner");
if (gameScore < previousScore) {
print("Game Over");}
break;
default: print("Not in range");
}
}
The output will be:
Perfect
You're qualified for the next level
In the next tutorial, we will pause to delve into the importance of comments in coding.
May your coding journey be fruitful,
-Arc
This video discusses how to program conditional statements in Dart, covering the basics of if statements and their variations.
In this tutorial, you will learn about the if-else statements in Dart programming, enhancing your coding skills through practical examples.