PHP Branching Statements

1. if Statement

The if statement executes a block of code if a specified condition is true.

// Example of if statement
$age = 20;
if ($age >= 18) {
    echo "You are eligible to vote.";
}
// Output: You are eligible to vote.

2. else Statement

The else statement executes a block of code if the condition in the if statement is false.

// Example of if-else statement
$age = 16;
if ($age >= 18) {
    echo "You are eligible to vote.";
} else {
    echo "You are not eligible to vote.";
}
// Output: You are not eligible to vote.

3. else if Statement

The else if statement checks multiple conditions. It executes different blocks of code depending on which condition is true.

// Example of if-elseif-else statement
$grade = 85;
if ($grade >= 90) {
    echo "A grade";
} elseif ($grade >= 80) {
    echo "B grade";
} else {
    echo "C grade";
}
// Output: B grade

4. switch Statement

The switch statement is used when you want to compare a variable with multiple possible values. It’s especially useful as an alternative to multiple if statements.

// Example of switch statement
$day = "Monday";
switch ($day) {
    case "Monday":
        echo "Start of the week.";
        break;
    case "Friday":
        echo "Almost weekend!";
        break;
    case "Sunday":
        echo "Weekend!";
        break;
    default:
        echo "Have a great day!";
}
// Output: Start of the week.

Conclusion

Branching statements are essential in controlling the execution flow of a program based on conditions. In PHP, the if, else, else if, and switch statements offer flexibility to make code more dynamic and responsive.