variable initialization within case block

[Aakash Goel]

 switch (a) {
            case 1:
                int b; break;
            case 2:
                b = 1;  break; 
        }

This works! How is this even possible?

[Ruben Soto]

What happens when you run the code with a = 2?

[Aakash Goel]

    static public void main(String[] args) {
        int a = 2;
        switch (a) {
            case 1:
                int b;
                break;
            case 2:
                b = 10;
                System.out.println("b = " + b);
                break;
        }
    }

prints:

b = 10

[Ruben Soto]

Declarations are processed at compile time and do not depend on the execution flow of your code. Since b is declared within the local scope of the switch block, it is useable anywhere in that block from the point of its declaration.