Conditional statements (if, else, switch)

Course Outline: Conditional Statements (if, else, switch)

Module 1: Introduction to Conditional Statements

• What are conditional statements?
  • Definition of conditional statements in programming.
  • Why conditional statements are essential for decision-making in code.
  • How they allow a program to make decisions based on specific conditions.
• Basic structure of an if statement
  • Syntax of an if statement.
  • How an if statement works: evaluating a condition and executing code if the condition is true.
  • Example: writing a simple program that checks if a number is positive or negative.

Module 2: The if-else Statement

• Understanding the if-else structure
  • What happens when the condition in the if statement is false.
  • How to add an else clause to execute alternative code.
  • Syntax and examples: writing programs with if-else for decision making.
• Real-world example of using if-else
  • Example: writing a program to check if a user is eligible to vote based on their age.
  • Example: creating a program that checks if a student passed or failed based on their grade.

Module 3: The else if Ladder

• What is the else-if ladder?
  • Explanation of the else if construct to check multiple conditions.
  • How else if works for scenarios where more than two outcomes are possible.
• Using multiple conditions with else if
  • Example: writing a program to categorize a person’s age (child, teenager, adult, senior).
  • Best practices for using else if to avoid deeply nested conditions.

Module 4: The switch Statement

• Introduction to the switch statement
  • What is a switch statement and how it differs from if-else statements.
  • When to use switch instead of multiple if-else checks for efficiency and clarity.
• Syntax and structure of switch
  • How to write a switch statement with multiple case labels.
  • Understanding the break statement and how it works with switch.
  • Example: writing a simple program to output the name of a day based on a number input (1 for Monday, 2 for Tuesday, etc.).
• Advantages of switch over multiple if-else
  • When switch statements are more efficient.
  • Handling multiple values with switch and writing cleaner, more readable code.

Module 5: Nested Conditional Statements

• What are nested conditional statements?
  • Definition and explanation of nested if and switch statements.
  • How to write more complex decision-making logic with nested conditions.
• Practical examples of nested conditions
  • Example: writing a program that checks if a person can drive based on age and driver’s license status.
  • Example: implementing a login system where both username and password must be checked.

Module 6: Best Practices and Common Mistakes

• Best practices for using conditional statements
  • How to structure conditions for better readability.
  • Avoiding deeply nested conditions by refactoring code.
  • Using switch for efficiency when dealing with many cases.
• Common mistakes to avoid
  • Mistakes with operator precedence in conditions.
  • Forgetting to include a break statement in switch.
  • Incorrectly nesting conditions.

Module 7: Conclusion and Final Project

• Review of the material covered
  • Recap of key concepts: if, else, else if, and switch.
  • Discussion of when and how to use each type of conditional statement.
• Mini-project:
  • Build a project that implements conditional statements in a real-world scenario. Example: creating a simple calculator that handles different operations based on user input (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).

Additional Materials:

• Video tutorials: Videos explaining each module with examples and demonstrations.
• Quizzes and assessments: Short quizzes at the end of each module to test understanding of conditional statements.