Switch and integer constants

[Meden]

I am working on this program out of my book. I am supposed to:

1. Ask the user to enter one of five state abbreviations.
2. Display the name of the state that abbreviation refers to.

This is my program.

// This program displays the name of a state once its two letter abbreviation is entered.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main(){
    char abbrev[3];

    cout << "What is the abbreviation for the state?" << endl;
    cin >> abbrev;
    cout << endl;

    switch(abbrev){
        case 'NC':    cout << "This state is North Carolina." << endl;
                    break;
        case 'SC':    cout << "This state is South Carolina." << endl;
                    break;
        case 'GA':    cout << "This state is Georgia." << endl;
                    break;
        case 'FL':    cout << "This state is Florida." << endl;
                    break;
        case 'AL':    cout << "This state is Alabamba." << endl;
                    break;
        default:    cout << "Invalid Entry." << endl;
                    break;
    }

    return 0;
}

I know I have read that switch needs an integer, but I have also seen an example which uses a char. What do I have to do to allow it to use 2 letters? or do i have to use if, else if, else if, and so on?

[Stewbond]

Just replace
'NC'
with
"NC"

The single quotes tell the compiler that you are working with a single character. The double quotes tell the compiler that you are working with a char* or char array.

The reason you need an array of 3 is because to find the end of the array the compiler reads until it hits a "special" character which is automatically introduced at the end of a string.
"NC" has three characters: 'N', 'C'. '\0'. Where '\0' is the null terminating character.

[ryancb06]

I believe an if() else if() arrangement would work better for this purpose.

if (abbrev == "NC")// Note the double quotes, single quotes are used for single chars
	{
	cout << "This state is South Carolina." << endl;
	}
else if (abbrev == "SC")
	{
	cout << "This state is South Carolina." << endl;
	}
//......... And so on ...... 
else{
	cout << "Invalid Entry." << endl;
	}

[Meden]

Thanks. It is at least running now, but it always skips to the else and does not recognize the NC, SC, GA, FL, AL entries.

This is what I have now:

// This program displays the name of a state once its two letter abbreviation is entered.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main(){
    char abbrev[3];

    cout << "What is the abbreviation for the state?" << endl;
    cin >> abbrev;
    cout << endl;

    if (abbrev == "NC"){
        cout << "This state is North Carolina." << endl;
    }
    else if (abbrev == "SC"){
        cout << "This state is South Carolina." << endl;
    }
    else if (abbrev == "GA"){
        cout << "This state is Georgia." << endl;
    }
    else if (abbrev == "FL"){
        cout << "This state is Florida." << endl;
    }
    else if (abbrev == "AL"){
        cout << "This state is Alabama." << endl;
    }
    else{
        cout << "Invalid Entry." << endl;
    }

    return 0;
}

I have tried cin.getline(abbrev, 3); instead of just cin >> abbrev; but that didn't seem to change anything.

[nixer526]

Must you have to use char!?
If you can use string, you just need to change the declaration and it'll work

[Meden]

I guess I haven't learned enough about strings yet, so I instead probably made a lot more work for myself using strcmp.

// This program displays the name of a state once its two letter abbreviation is entered.

#include <iostream>
#include <string.h>

using namespace std;

int main(){
    char abbrev[3];

    cout << "What is the abbreviation for the state?" << endl;
    cin >> abbrev;
    cout << endl;

    if (strcmp(abbrev, "NC") == 0){
        cout << "This state is North Carolina.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "SC") == 0){
        cout << "This state is South Carolina.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "GA") == 0){
        cout << "This state is Georgia.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "FL") == 0){
        cout << "This state is Florida.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "AL") == 0){
        cout << "This state is Alabama.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "nc") == 0){
        cout << "This state is North Carolina.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "sc") == 0){
        cout << "This state is South Carolina.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "ga") == 0){
        cout << "This state is Georgia.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "fl") == 0){
        cout << "This state is Florida.";
    }
    else if (strcmp(abbrev, "al") == 0){
        cout << "This state is Alabama.";
    }
    else{
        cout << "Invalid Entry.";
    }

    cout << endl;

    return 0;
}

This works now. Thanks. :)