Switch/Case questions

Lets say i have a simple program like this:

Code:

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

void displaytext();
void displaynumbers();

int input;

int main()
{
      cout<<"What do you want to do?\n\n";
      cout<<"1. Display Text.\n\n";
      cout<<"2. Display Numbers\n\n";
      cout<<"3. Exit.\n\n";
      cout<<"Selection:";
      cin>> input;
      switch ( input ) {
             case 1:
                 cout<<"Text!!!!!!\n";
                 cin.get();
             case 2:
                 cout<<"Numbers!!!!!!\n";
                 cin.get();
             case 3:
                 cout<<"Good bye!\n";
                 cin.get();
             default:
                 cout<<"Bad input! lets try that again.\n";
                 cin.get();
             }
cin.get();
}

If you compile and run this code, you will notice that after either case has been executed, the program will exit.
Without looping around the whole thing, is there a way to return to the beginning of the
program after Case 1,2,3 or default have been executed. And start all over from the beginning without restarting the program?

We don't need to compile that program to tell you that it wont loop, as your question isn't really concerning switch statements; You simply need to learn about loops.

In C++ they come in 3 flavours: "do while", "while", and "for".
I would recommend a "do while" in this case.

You can use any of the loops mentioned by iMalc. You can try using goto statement. It is not recommended though as it makes a program complex. Use break; instead of cin.get(); as it is not a sure way. It can give problems. To use such a small function as displaytext() etc, you can use macros.

Originally Posted by saqib_

Use break; instead of cin.get(); as it is not a sure way. It can give problems.

Good point, but the reason to use break here is not ecause cin.get() "can give problems", but because you probably do not want the fall through effect of a switch. If you do intend it, then break would not be appropriate.

Originally Posted by saqib_

To use such a small function as displaytext() etc, you can use macros.

Do not resort to a macro unless other options are worse. You can, for example, declare the function as inline if you deem fit, but it probably does not matter here.

Thanks very very much for the help. Looks like goto statements did the trick! ( and a do while loop in case users never select exit, it wont go on forever) I probably did not need the do while loop, but im in those beginning experimental stages so, what the heck. I had never learned about goto statements before, i find them to be very useful, and even easier to learn (Basic usage anyway). Even with the actual code im working on (MUCH more complex than my example) i still had no problems. You guys are the best.

NOOO!!!!

Please avoid the use of goto. When you are more experienced you might be able to better judge when to use them, but at the moment if you rely on goto, your code will become unreadable!

Originally Posted by laserlight

NOOO!!!!

Please avoid the use of goto. When you are more experienced you might be able to better judge when to use them, but at the moment if you rely on goto, your code will become unreadable!

Lol. Seems like saqib_ did more bad than good here by introducing the idea of a goto.

kbzombie, if you're not ready to use loops then you're definitely not ready to properly use goto. One of the very very few places where a goto is considered acceptable is to break out of a set of deeply nested loops. Perhaps you should read up on goto a bit.

Lol. Seems like saqib_ did more bad than good here by introducing the idea of a goto.

Yes. telling about goto statement to someone who is new to programming is a disaster, since he/she does not have a clue whatsoever about the dirty effects of using goto statement and rely heavily on using it. Although it is not recommended but still intelligent use of goto statement can work wonders (not for noobs of course).

I would not say any harm has been done. Like i said, im just experimenting. With the more complex stuff. But i guess experimentation is the cause of mistakes made while experimenting. I studied loops last week, i understand them well. The problem is knowing when to use a for, while, or do while loop when the difference is looping cout<<"Hello world!"; , and looping a switch statement with many cases. For loops are simple for me. Iv used them many times, it just does not give me the result im looking for in the program im working on. Do while would work, and i understand how and why, but i need to have the correct function at the end of each case. Because what iv tried so far does not seem to "Start the program over". I see goto was a bad way to go, break does not work the way i thought, yet to try return, besides return 0;, its to complex for macros. I think ill just put my .cpp file in my archives to work on when i have more experience.

Okay! Lets sum up.

You (may have) learned more about the subject: "Dealing with noobs."

I learned: Listen to people who know what there talking about! (Im being truthful here), and just because you MAY do something, does not mean you CAN. Intill you get better at it at least.

If you feel like you don't get loops correctly, then it's usually a logic problem.
Try writing down the logic, then translating it to code.

Originally Posted by kbzombie

The problem is knowing when to use a for, while, or do while loop when the difference is looping cout<<"Hello world!"; , and looping a switch statement with many cases.

There's not a difference here. For loops work the same way, regardless of what's inside them.

Originally Posted by kbzombie

Do while would work, and i understand how and why, but i need to have the correct function at the end of each case.

You should probably elaborate on this sentence, because as you have it written it makes no sense. There's no reason at all you would need to have "the correct function" (whatever that means, if anything) at the end of each case for a loop to work. (EDIT: Unless you mean "getting new input before restarting the loop", I guess. But the point there is that it should be after the switch, since you wouldn't want to write it in each case, as you say.)

Originally Posted by kbzombie

yet to try return, besides return 0;, its to complex for macros.

Macros are just text substitution, not an actual function call, so using return inside a macro is Just Plain Wrong. (Unless you really intend to return from the function itself, and not from the macro.) Although I'm not sure why we're even talking about macros all of a sudden.

Originally Posted by kbzombie

I would not say any harm has been done.

Harm was done when the idea popped into your head, well before you even posted the idea to spread the disease known as goto, to others.

I can honestly say that it never entered my mind as I wrote my previous post. It simply isn't something worth considering.