Is this valid in a switch statement?

[peco]

If you have multiple conditions for each case, is using the double pipe for "or" valid or should you use multiple "case".

i.e. this

case "Tabby" ¦¦ "Siamese" ¦¦ "Manx":
echo "This is a cat";
break;

case "Labrador" ¦¦ "Alsatian" ¦¦ "Rottweiler":
echo "This is a dog";
break;

or should it be like this

case "Tabby":
case "Siamese":
case "Manx":
echo "This is a cat";
break;

case "Labrador":
case "Alsatian":
case "Rottweiler":
echo "This is a dog";
break;

[cameraman]

It should be multiple cases like your second version.

[peco]

Thanks cameraman.

I tried the double pipe and it worked but I didn't think it was valid. I'll use the second version.

[cameraman]

Hmmm, interesting that it worked - I've never even tried it.
According to php.net:

The case expression may be any expression that evaluates to a simple type...

which would imply to me that your logical ORs would actually be considered valid, although they don't show any examples like that.

[peco]

The reason I thought it invalid is I have never seen any examples of using OR, although as you say, it is logical. It does work though. Did you try it yet?

[cameraman]

I tried it on my 5.2.x on windoze and the OR always gets the win, even when it isn't supposed to:
$test = "billy";
switch($test) {
case 'sam' ¦¦ 'samson':
echo "it's sam";
break;
case 'billy':
echo "it's billy";
break;
default:
echo "No match";
break;
}

I always get 'it's sam'.

[peco]

You are absolutely right cameraman, thanks for testing it. I only tried with one set of case statements before, which makes it appear that OR works. Testing as you did, it gives the first result for all.

Ah well, I guess we didn't make an earth shattering discovery.

[jatar_k]

with the drop through cases above it lets you use a base functionality and extend some other cases.

I wouldn't use it extensively but it is definitely useful

I believe in 8 yrs I've used it twice

logically there may be faster or more direct ways to achieve the same thing