fall - through for if-else loop ???

[Mehul Mehta]

Code:
class Bool {
static boolean b;
public static void main(String [] args) {
int x=0;
if (b ) {
x=1;
}

else if (b = false) {
x=2;
}
else if (b) {
x=3;
}
else {
x=4;
}
System.out.println("x = " + x);
}
}
ANSWER is X=4;

It appears that there is fall-thru......does if -else also have fall-thru or only case switch ???

[Aniket Patil]

It appears that there is fall-thru

I do not see how a "fall-through" is observed. Just traverse through the code keeping in mind how the if-else works.

b is initialised to false by default.

  
if (b) 
{
    x=1;
}

x = 1 is not executed since if(false) is encountered.

else if (b = false) 
{
    x=2;
}

b is assigned false, else if(false) is encountered.

else if (b) 
{
    x=3;
}

else if(false), x is not assigned 3

else 
{
    x=4;
}

Here x is assigned 4.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

"fall-through" is unique to the switch statement. x is 4 here because all of the tests in the "if" statements are false, so the last "else" executes. Why do you think this implies "fall-through?"

[Sanjit Kumar]

There is no fall through in the above code. You simply use your basic if else concept and you will get the correct answer.

[Mehul Mehta]

This question is from the Whizlabs Software and the reference explanation says "fall-thru"; i guess they are wrong there.

I was pretty sure that if-else does not use "fall-thru" since I must have used a billion times ; I decided to put this on the forum for :-
1) Whiz lab Explanation.

2) I was guessing the part "else if (b = false)" would evaluate to TRUE and satisfy the clause and hence X=2;
because we are assigning FALSE to 'b' and not checking.


Thanks for the explanation.