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Android Build a Weather App (2015) Working with JSON Setting the Weather Icon

Pavel Razuvayev
Pavel Razuvayev
4,128 Points
Posted by Pavel Razuvayev
Pavel Razuvayev
4,128 Points

Why not switch statement?

Why not use switch statement here instead of multiple else ifs? Is this arbitrary decision?

Stefan Kaczmarek
Stefan Kaczmarek
21,228 Points
Stefan Kaczmarek
Stefan Kaczmarek
21,228 Points

It is probably because switching on a String is actually a fairly recent addition to Java / Android: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14367629/android-coding-with-switch-string

4 Answers

Kevin Haube
Kevin Haube
12,265 Points
Kevin Haube
Kevin Haube
12,265 Points

It may be bcause this video is still a beginner video, and thet may have not been covered (not too sure, but it's a guess). I went ahead and used a switch:

public int getIconId() {

        int iconId;
        switch (mIcon) {
            case "clear-day":
                iconId = R.drawable.clear_day;
                break;
            case "clear-night":
                iconId = R.drawable.clear_night;
                break;
            case "rain":
                iconId = R.drawable.rain;
                break;
            case "snow":
                iconId = R.drawable.snow;
                break;
            case "sleet":
                iconId = R.drawable.sleet;
                break;
            case "wind":
                iconId = R.drawable.wind;
                break;
            case "fog":
                iconId = R.drawable.fog;
                break;
            case "cloudy":
                iconId = R.drawable.cloudy;
                break;
            case "partly-cloudy-day":
                iconId = R.drawable.partly_cloudy;
                break;
            case "partly-cloudy-night":
                iconId = R.drawable.cloudy_night;
                break;
            default:
                iconId = R.drawable.clear_day;
                break;
        }

        return iconId;
    }
Edward C. Young
Edward C. Young
10,323 Points
Edward C. Young
Edward C. Young
10,323 Points

I'd love to see this integrated into the video, even for beginners, as it prevents what I like to call the "nesting syndrome." Thanks as this is the approach I chose.

Ruan Lopes de Souza
Ruan Lopes de Souza
4,854 Points
Ruan Lopes de Souza
Ruan Lopes de Souza
4,854 Points

I couldn't find the release date of this video to confirm @Stefan answer but I personally think he optionally decided to use elseIf instead of Switch case

Samuel Tissot-Jobin
Samuel Tissot-Jobin
7,350 Points
Samuel Tissot-Jobin
Samuel Tissot-Jobin
7,350 Points

I had a different approach (see: alternative-ways-of-getting-the-icon-id) that would be good if we had lots of possibilities. However, I think the swith/case statement in this case will be less resource intensive, especially compared to my implementation.

cheers

Taylor Bryant
Taylor Bryant
7,395 Points
Taylor Bryant
Taylor Bryant
7,395 Points

I see that you used an int variable of iconId and set it to that and returned it later. Why did you opt for this instead of having each case use a return statement?

Edward C. Young
Edward C. Young
10,323 Points
Edward C. Young
Edward C. Young
10,323 Points

Because the last bit of the switch structure contains the return statement. Notice that each case contains a break statement, and after breaking the return statement is executed.