Question

When using a switch statement, with an exhaustive list of available items (for example an enum), and in the event that each item has its own conditional code, should I use the default label? For example:

public class MyClass {

    public enum Type {
        TYPE1, TYPE2
    }

    private Type type;

    public void withDefault() {
        switch (type) {
        case TYPE1:
            // some conditional code for TYPE1
            break;
        default:
            // some conditional code for TYPE2
            break;
        }
    }

    public void withoutDefault() {
        switch (type) {
        case TYPE1:
            // some conditional code for TYPE1
            break;
        case TYPE2:
            // some conditional code for TYPE2
            break;
        }
    }

}

In that case, what should I use: the withDefault() method or the withoutDefault() one? Or maybe is it only a matter of taste?

Answer 1

I usually use a case for each TYPE1 and TYPE2 and then a default that throws an exception, so that later when a type is added the exception will remind me to change the switch.