Question

When I try to compile I get this error:

1>------ Build started: Project: snake, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
1>  exercise.cpp
1>c:\users\robin\documents\visual studio 2010\projects\snake\snake\exercise.cpp(13): error C2059: syntax error : '>='
1>c:\users\robin\documents\visual studio 2010\projects\snake\snake\exercise.cpp(16): error C2059: syntax error : '>='
1>c:\users\robin\documents\visual studio 2010\projects\snake\snake\exercise.cpp(19): error C2059: syntax error : '>='
1>c:\users\robin\documents\visual studio 2010\projects\snake\snake\exercise.cpp(22): error C2059: syntax error : '>='
1>c:\users\robin\documents\visual studio 2010\projects\snake\snake\exercise.cpp(25): error C2059: syntax error : '>'
1>c:\users\robin\documents\visual studio 2010\projects\snake\snake\exercise.cpp(28): error C2059: syntax error : '=='
1>c:\users\robin\documents\visual studio 2010\projects\snake\snake\exercise.cpp(34): warning C4065: switch statement contains 'default' but no 'case' labels
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main(){
    int score;

    //Vraag de score
    cout << "Score:";
    cin >> score;

    //Switch
    switch(score){
        case >= 100:
            cout << "a";
            break;
        case >= 50:
            cout << "b";
            break;
        case >= 25:
            cout << "c";
            break;
        case >= 10:
            cout << "d";
            break;
        case > 0:
            cout << "e";
            break;
        case == 0:
            cout << "f";
            break;
        default:
            cout << "BAD VALUE";
            break;
    }
    cout << endl;
    return 0;
}

How can I fix this problem? It’s a console application, Win32 and my IDE is Windows Enterprise C++ 2010.

I’m learning from Beginning C++ Through Game Programming.

Answer 1

In C++ case labels are constant expressions, not expressions in general. You need a chain of if-then-else statements to do what you are trying to do.

Alternatively, you can enumerate the values in the switch. This runs marginally faster (though it does not matter in cases like yours), but it is considerably less readable:

switch(score) {
    case 0: cout << "f"; break;
    case 1:
    case 2:
    case 3:
    case 4:
    case 5:
    case 6:
    case 7:
    case 8:
    case 9:
    case 10: cout << "e"; break;
    case 11:
    case 12:
    case 13:
    case 14:
    case 15:
    case 16:
    case 17:
    case 18:
    case 19:
    case 20:
    case 21:
    case 22:
    case 23:
    case 24:
    case 25: cout << "c"; break;
    // ...and so on, you get the idea...

}