262

Is there a way of using an 'OR' operator or equivalent in a PHP switch?

For example, something like this:

switch ($value) {

    case 1 || 2:
        echo 'the value is either 1 or 2';
        break;
}
Peter Mortensen
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12 Answers12

564
switch ($value)
{
    case 1:
    case 2:
        echo "the value is either 1 or 2.";
    break;
}

This is called "falling through" the case block. The term exists in most languages implementing a switch statement.

Community
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151

If you must use || with switch then you can try :

$v = 1;
switch (true) {
    case ($v == 1 || $v == 2):
        echo 'the value is either 1 or 2';
        break;
}

If not your preferred solution would have been

switch($v) {
    case 1:
    case 2:
        echo "the value is either 1 or 2";
        break;
}

The issue is that both method is not efficient when dealing with large cases ... imagine 1 to 100 this would work perfectly

$r1 = range(1, 100);
$r2 = range(100, 200);
$v = 76;
switch (true) {
    case in_array($v, $r1) :
        echo 'the value is in range 1 to 100';
        break;
    case in_array($v, $r2) :
        echo 'the value is in range 100 to 200';
        break;
}
Baba
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  • `switch (true)` is an antipattern that removes the only benefit of a switch block -- a single evaluation. Instead, each case needs to be evaluated and all of the `break` calls make a verbose snippet. I would never use this antipattern in a professional project. – mickmackusa Dec 31 '21 at 08:24
58

I won't repost the other answers because they're all correct, but I'll just add that you can't use switch for more "complicated" statements, eg: to test if a value is "greater than 3", "between 4 and 6", etc. If you need to do something like that, stick to using if statements, or if there's a particularly strong need for switch then it's possible to use it back to front:

switch (true) {
    case ($value > 3) :
        // value is greater than 3
    break;
    case ($value >= 4 && $value <= 6) :
        // value is between 4 and 6
    break;
}

but as I said, I'd personally use an if statement there.

nickf
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    Glad to see that you recommended if() over switch() in this case. This kind of switch just adds complexity, IMO. – moo Oct 16 '08 at 02:08
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    yeah, you'd have to have a fairly compelling reason to choose this style, but it's good to know that it's possible. – nickf Oct 16 '08 at 02:14
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    I'm actually glad to have learned this. Every time I build a project in a Basic-y language, I miss having a C-style `switch()`, and when I'm working in a C-ish language I really miss having `Select Case`, which is really a shorthand way of saying "there's a big block of if, else if, else-if... here". – Stan Rogers Oct 09 '10 at 07:50
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    `you can't use switch for more "complicated" statements` is it `can't` or is it `shouldn't` ? because in your example you `can` – Sharky Mar 24 '15 at 08:29
  • @Sharky he meant that the ordinary use case of switch can't. this kind of `switch (true)` thing is not an ordinary use case of switch. – Chen Li Yong Oct 01 '16 at 09:35
  • `switch (true)` is an antipattern that removes the only benefit of a switch block -- a single evaluation. Instead, each case needs to be evaluated and all of the `break` calls make a verbose snippet. I would never use this antipattern in a professional project. – mickmackusa Dec 31 '21 at 08:13
40

Try with these following examples in this article : http://phpswitch.com/

Possible Switch Cases :

(i). A simple switch statement

The switch statement is wondrous and magic. It's a piece of the language that allows you to select between different options for a value, and run different pieces of code depending on which value is set.

Each possible option is given by a case in the switch statement.

Example :

switch($bar)
{
    case 4:
        echo "This is not the number you're looking for.\n";
        $foo = 92;
}

(ii). Delimiting code blocks

The major caveat of switch is that each case will run on into the next one, unless you stop it with break. If the simple case above is extended to cover case 5:

Example :

case 4:
    echo "This is not the number you're looking for.\n";
    $foo = 92;
    break;

case 5:
    echo "A copy of Ringworld is on its way to you!\n";
    $foo = 34;
    break;

(iii). Using fallthrough for multiple cases

Because switch will keep running code until it finds a break, it's easy enough to take the concept of fallthrough and run the same code for more than one case:

Example :

case 2:

case 3:
case 4:
    echo "This is not the number you're looking for.\n";
    $foo = 92;
    break;

case 5:
    echo "A copy of Ringworld is on its way to you!\n";
    $foo = 34;
    break;

(iv). Advanced switching: Condition cases

PHP's switch doesn't just allow you to switch on the value of a particular variable: you can use any expression as one of the cases, as long as it gives a value for the case to use. As an example, here's a simple validator written using switch:

Example :

switch(true)
{
    case (strlen($foo) > 30):
        $error = "The value provided is too long.";
    $valid = false;
    break;

    case (!preg_match('/^[A-Z0-9]+$/i', $foo)):
        $error = "The value must be alphanumeric.";
    $valid = false;
    break;

    default:
    $valid = true;
    break;
}

i think this may help you to resolve your problem.

John Peter
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  • Do you have any real world use-case for the example (iv)? – Pedro Moreira Jun 12 '15 at 14:17
  • `switch (true)` is an antipattern that removes the only benefit of a switch block -- a single evaluation. Instead, each case needs to be evaluated and all of the `break` calls make a verbose snippet. I would never use this antipattern in a professional project. – mickmackusa Dec 31 '21 at 08:25
15

Try

switch($value) {
    case 1:
    case 2:
        echo "the value is either 1 or 2";
        break;
}
Craig
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12

I suggest you to go through switch (manual).

switch ($your_variable)
{
    case 1:
    case 2:
        echo "the value is either 1 or 2.";
    break;
}

Explanation

Like for the value you want to execute a single statement for, you can put it without a break as as until or unless break is found. It will go on executing the code and if a break found, it will come out of the switch case.

Peter Mortensen
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Abhishek Jaiswal
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  • I would tab the `break` another time so that the developer's eye can quickly track down the `case` expressions. – mickmackusa Dec 31 '21 at 08:15
8

Match expression (PHP 8)

PHP 8 introduced a new match expression that is similar to switch but with the shorter syntax and these differences:

  • doesn't require break statements
  • combine conditions using a comma
  • returns a value
  • has strict type comparisons
  • requires the comparison to be exhaustive (if no match is found, a UnhandledMatchError will be thrown)

Example:

match ($value) {
  0 => '0',
  1, 2 => "1 or 2",
  default => "3",
}
yivi
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t_dom93
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  • Although this is correct, it's actually irrelevant to the question. `switch` already provides for a more than one way to accomplish what the OP wants. – yivi Dec 31 '21 at 07:49
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    That said, this page represents a great opportunity to promote a fantastic, modern, alternative feature in PHP. – mickmackusa Dec 31 '21 at 08:16
2

Note that you can also use a closure to assign the result of a switch (using early returns) to a variable:

$otherVar = (static function($value) {
    switch ($value) {
        case 0:
            return 4;
        case 1:
            return 6;
        case 2:
        case 3:
            return 5;
        default:
            return null;
    }
})($i);

Of course this way to do is obsolete as it is exactly the purpose of the new PHP 8 match function as indicated in _dom93 answer.

COil
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1

Use this code:

switch($a) {
    case 1:
    case 2:
        .......
        .......
        .......
        break;
}

The block is called for both 1 and 2.

Peter Mortensen
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RaJeSh
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0
switch ($value) 
{
   case 1:
   case 2:
      echo 'the value is either 1 or 2';
   break;
}
Tapas Pal
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-2

http://php.net/manual/en/control-structures.switch.php Example

$today = date("D");

    switch($today){

        case "Mon":

        case "Tue":

            echo "Today is Tuesday or Monday. Buy some food.";

            break;

        case "Wed":

            echo "Today is Wednesday. Visit a doctor.";

            break;

        case "Thu":

            echo "Today is Thursday. Repair your car.";

            break;

        default:

            echo "No information available for that day.";

            break;

    }
Md Nazrul Islam
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-4

The best way might be if else with requesting. Also, this can be easier and clear to use.

Example:

<?php 
$go = $_REQUEST['go'];
?>
<?php if ($go == 'general_information'){?>
<div>
echo "hello";
}?>

Instead of using the functions that won't work well with PHP, especially when you have PHP in HTML.

ahmed
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