else if

The else if Statement

Use the else if statement to specify a new condition to test if the first condition is false.

You can use else if to check multiple conditions, one after another.

Syntax

if (condition1) {
  // block of code to be executed if condition1 is true
} else if (condition2) {
  // block of code to be executed if condition1 is false and condition2 is true
} else {
  // block of code to be executed if both conditions are false
}

The conditions are checked from top to bottom. As soon as one condition is true, its block of code runs, and the rest are skipped.

Example

In the example below, we decide which message to print based on the value of time:

Example

int time = 16;

if (time < 12) {
  printf("Good morning.");
} else if (time < 18) {
  printf("Good day.");
} else {
  printf("Good evening.");
}

// Outputs "Good day."

Example explained

The value of time is 16. The first condition (time < 12) is false, but the second condition (time < 18) is true. Because of this, the code inside the else if block runs, and "Good day." is printed.

If the value of time was 22, none of the conditions would be true, and the program would print "Good evening." instead.

Using Boolean Variables

Just like with if statements, you can store conditions in boolean variables and use them with else if:

Example

int time = 16;

bool isMorning = time < 12;
bool isDay = time < 18;

if (isMorning) {
  printf("Good morning.");
} else if (isDay) {
  printf("Good day.");
} else {
  printf("Good evening.");
}

Tip: Boolean variable names like isMorning and isDay make it easier to understand what each condition means.