Conditionals

Swift's if/else reads like most other languages, but its switch statement is unusually powerful — it can match ranges, tuples, and patterns, not just exact values, and it doesn't fall through to the next case by default.

if / else if / else

let score = 82

if score >= 90 {
    print("A")
} else if score >= 80 {
    print("B")
} else {
    print("C or below")
}

B

Notice there's no parentheses required around the condition — score >= 90, not (score >= 90) — but the curly braces around each branch's body are mandatory even for a single statement.

switch: exhaustive by default

A Swift switch must cover every possible case (or include a default), and each case automatically stops after running — no break needed, no accidental fall-through:

let grade = "B"

switch grade {
case "A":
    print("Excellent")
case "B", "C":
    print("Solid")
default:
    print("Needs work")
}

Solid

Matching ranges

let temperature = 72

switch temperature {
case ..<32:
    print("Freezing")
case 32..<65:
    print("Cold")
case 65..<85:
    print("Comfortable")
default:
    print("Hot")
}

Comfortable