switch statement

[radhika ayirala]

Which line(s) should be removed for this code to compile?
static public void main(String...arg)
{
Byte snake = 5;
final int b;
b=2;
Integer i=5;
switch(snake){
case 128:System.out.println("Shouldn't it freeze in December ?");//1
default:System.out.println("White Christmas?");//2
case b:System.out.println("An Inconvenient truth...");//3
case i:break;//4
}
}

why line4 is wrong.

[Jesper de Jong]

Because the expression in the cases in a switch statement must be a compile-time constant, and i is not a compile-time constant.

[radhika ayirala]

can we apply autoboxing concept here.If we apply that,we can change Integer to int.Then line4 would be valied.

[Joanne Neal]

No, because i would still not be a compile time constant. You need to make i final, the same as b.

[Rob Spoor]

No, because it's still not a constant.

Variables that can be used in switch statements need to be final. They also have to be given a variable on the same line as it is declared. That is why b cannot be used. Should it be "final int b = 2" then it could be used.

Well, except that snake is a Byte and therefore only byte constants can be used in this case