Thread: How can this if else statement be simplified?

I've got 25 options the user can take from 5 different choices.

I've tried using the "switch" function, but the "case" test one conditional at a time. I've tried looping, but I couldn't get my head round it.

Well, here is the "replace all" thing that I done in MS word to get it like this, phew!

I would really appreciate it if anyone can show me hints or suggestions to how this can be simplified:

Code:

	if ((chosenfile1==1)&&(chosenfile2==1)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Sun","The Sun",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt");
	else
	if ((chosenfile1==1)&&(chosenfile2==2)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Sun","The Times",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt");
	else
	if ((chosenfile1==1)&&(chosenfile2==3)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Sun","French Article",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt");
	else
	if ((chosenfile1==1)&&(chosenfile2==4)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Sun","Romeo and Julliet",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt");
	else
	if ((chosenfile1==1)&&(chosenfile2==5)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Sun","Harry Potter",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt"); 
	else
	if ((chosenfile1==2)&&(chosenfile2==1)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Times","The Sun",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt"); 
	else
	if ((chosenfile1==2)&&(chosenfile2==2)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Times","The Times",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==2)&&(chosenfile2==3)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Times","French Article",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==2)&&(chosenfile2==4)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Times","Romeo and Julliet",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==2)&&(chosenfile2==5)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("The Times","Harry Potter",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==3)&&(chosenfile2==1)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("French Article","The Sun",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==3)&&(chosenfile2==2)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("French Article","The Times",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==3)&&(chosenfile2==3)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("French Article","French Article",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==3)&&(chosenfile2==4)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("French Article","Romeo and Julliet",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==3)&&(chosenfile2==5)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("French Article","Harry Potter",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==4)&&(chosenfile2==1)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Romeo and Julliet","The Sun",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==4)&&(chosenfile2==2)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Romeo and Julliet","The Times",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==4)&&(chosenfile2==3)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Romeo and Julliet","French Article",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==4)&&(chosenfile2==4)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Romeo and Julliet","Romeo and Julliet",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==4)&&(chosenfile2==5)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Romeo and Julliet","Harry Potter",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==5)&&(chosenfile2==1)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Harry Potter","The Sun",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt",".\\textfiles\\thesun.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==5)&&(chosenfile2==2)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Harry Potter","The Times",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt",".\\textfiles\\thetimes.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==5)&&(chosenfile2==3)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Harry Potter","French Article",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt",".\\textfiles\\frenchnewspaper.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==5)&&(chosenfile2==4)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Harry Potter","Romeo and Julliet",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt",".\\textfiles\\shakespeare.txt"); 
	else 
	if ((chosenfile1==5)&&(chosenfile2==5)) statisticsof2textfilescompared ("Harry Potter","Harry Potter",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt",".\\textfiles\\childrensbook.txt"); 
	else 
	printf("Invalid menu option, please try again");

Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

There must be some way of making this simpler, there must bee....

Thanks in advance,
CookieMonster

Use arrays of names.
e.g. {"The Sun", "The Times"}

Now you can access according to the chosen file
e.g. func(names[chosenfile1-1], names[chosenfile2-1]);

Whoa! Just like that!

Thank you!

This must be a very trivial question (sorry!) but what is the difference between doing

Code:

char *selectedname1[5]={"The Sun","Th...."}

and this

Code:

char selectedname1[5]={"The Sun","Th...."}

I understand that in the first code the array is being dereferenced, but what difference does this make compared to the second one? Am I not asking in the second code for the strings to be put into the array?

The first one creates an array of pointers that point to an array of characters.
The second one tries to store multiple arrays of characters into a single dimensional array.

I'll take that as a given rule. Thanks.