- The if else ladder statement in C++ programming language is used to check set of conditions in sequence.
- This is useful when we want to selectively executes one code block(out of many) based on certain conditions.
- It allows us to check for multiple condition expressions and execute different code blocks for more than two conditions.
- A condition expression is tested only when all previous if conditions in if-else ladder is false.
- If any of the conditional expression evaluates to true, then it will execute the corresponding code block and exits whole if-else ladder.
Syntax of if else ladder statement
if(condition_expression_One) {
statement1;// Statements executes when the condition_expression_One is true
} else if (condition_expression_Two) {
statement2;// Statements executes when the condition_expression_Two is true
} else if (condition_expression_Three) {
statement3;// Statements executes when the condition_expression_Three is true
} else {
statement4;// Statements executes when none of the above conditions evaluates to true
}
statement1;// Statements executes when the condition_expression_One is true
} else if (condition_expression_Two) {
statement2;// Statements executes when the condition_expression_Two is true
} else if (condition_expression_Three) {
statement3;// Statements executes when the condition_expression_Three is true
} else {
statement4;// Statements executes when none of the above conditions evaluates to true
}
- First condition_expression_One is tested and if it is true then following code block will execute and control comes out out of whole if else ladder.
- If condition_expression_One is false then only condition_expression_Two is tested. Control will keep on flowing downward, If none of the conditional expression is true.
- The last else is the default block of code which will gets executed if none of the conditional expression is true.
- If none of the conditional expressions evaluates to true then last else block will executes.

C++ If Else Ladder Statement Example Program
#include <iostream> using namespace std; int main(){ int score; cout << "Enter your score between 0-100\n"; cin >> score; /* Using if else ladder statement to print Grade of a Student */ if(score >= 90){ // Marks between 90-100 cout << "YOUR GRADE : A\n"; } else if (score >= 70 && score < 90){ // Marks between 70-89 cout << "YOUR GRADE : B\n"; } else if (score >= 50 && score < 70){ // Marks between 50-69 cout << "YOUR GRADE : C\n"; } else { // Marks less than 50 // if none of the conditions is true cout << "YOUR GRADE : Failed\n"; } return 0; }
Output
Enter your score between 0-100 72 YOUR GRADE : B
Enter your score between 0-100 10 YOUR GRADE : Failed
Points to Remember about If else ladder statement
- The condition_expression must be a boolean expression. It must evaluate to true or false value(In C++, all non-zero values are considered as true and zero is considered as false).
- An if block can have zero or more else if blocks. All else if blocks must be before else block(if any).
- We may use more than one condition inside if else ladder statement
For Example:
if(condition_one && condition_two) {
/* if code block */
} else if(condition_three) {
/* else code block */
} - Default else block is optional in if-else ladder statement.
- Only of the else-if code block will execute. If none of the else if conditions evaluates to true then default else code block executes.
- Opening and Closing Braces are optional, If the block of code of if else statement contains only one statement.
For Example:
if(condition_expression)
statement1;
else if(condition_expression)
statement2;
In above example only statement1 will gets executed if condition_expression is true.