C# Select Case (How It Works For Developers)

Overview of C# Select Case

In C#, the switch statement (not to be confused with the switch expression) provides a clean and structured way to handle conditional logic based on the value of a variable. Instead of using multiple statements, such as if-else statements, switch case statements allow for easier-to-read and more maintainable code. The switch statement will search for a pattern match for the match expression passed to the statement, before executing the code within the default case if no match is found.

Here’s the basic structure of a switch statement in C#:

switch (variable)
{
    case value1:
        // action for value1
        break;
    case value2:
        // action for value2
        break;
    default:
        // default action if no case matches
        break;
}

switch (variable)
{
    case value1:
        // action for value1
        break;
    case value2:
        // action for value2
        break;
    default:
        // default action if no case matches
        break;
}

Each case represents a possible value for the variable, and when a match is found, the code within that block is executed. This is particularly useful when you have multiple outcomes based on a single variable, such as determining which type of document to generate in a PDF.

Integrating Select Case with IronPDF for Dynamic PDF Generation

switch (userChoice)
{
    case "report":
        // Code to generate a report PDF using IronPDF
        break;
    case "invoice":
        // Code to generate an invoice PDF using IronPDF
        break;
    default:
        // Code to generate a default PDF document using IronPDF
        break;
}

switch (userChoice)
{
    case "report":
        // Code to generate a report PDF using IronPDF
        break;
    case "invoice":
        // Code to generate an invoice PDF using IronPDF
        break;
    default:
        // Code to generate a default PDF document using IronPDF
        break;
}

Installing IronPDF

Install-Package IronPdf

using IronPdf;

using IronPdf;

Example: Generating PDFs with Different Styles Using IronPDF

Code Example: Creating Reports and Invoices using IronPDF and Switch Statements

In the following code example, we'll take user input to pass on to the Switch statement to determine which PDF will be generated.

using IronPdf;
using System;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("What do you want to create?");
        Console.WriteLine("a. Report");
        Console.WriteLine("b. Invoice");
        var input = Console.ReadLine();
        string docType;

        if (input == "a")
        {
            GeneratePdf("Report");
        }
        else if (input == "b")
        {
            GeneratePdf("Invoice");
        }
        else
        {
            GeneratePdf(null);
        }
    }

    public static void GeneratePdf(string docType)
    {
        ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        switch (docType)
        {
            case "Report":
                string reportHtml = "<h1>Report</h1><p>This is a dynamically generated report.</p>";
                PdfDocument reportPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(reportHtml);
                reportPdf.SaveAs("Report.pdf");
                break;
            case "Invoice":
                string invoiceHtml = "<h1>Invoice</h1><p>This is a dynamically generated invoice.</p>";
                PdfDocument invoicePdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(invoiceHtml);
                invoicePdf.SaveAs("Invoice.pdf");
                break;
            default:
                string defaultHtml = "<h1>Document</h1><p>This is a default PDF document.</p>";
                PdfDocument defaultPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(defaultHtml);
                defaultPdf.SaveAs("Default.pdf");
                break;
        }
    }
}

using IronPdf;
using System;

public class Program
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("What do you want to create?");
        Console.WriteLine("a. Report");
        Console.WriteLine("b. Invoice");
        var input = Console.ReadLine();
        string docType;

        if (input == "a")
        {
            GeneratePdf("Report");
        }
        else if (input == "b")
        {
            GeneratePdf("Invoice");
        }
        else
        {
            GeneratePdf(null);
        }
    }

    public static void GeneratePdf(string docType)
    {
        ChromePdfRenderer renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        switch (docType)
        {
            case "Report":
                string reportHtml = "<h1>Report</h1><p>This is a dynamically generated report.</p>";
                PdfDocument reportPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(reportHtml);
                reportPdf.SaveAs("Report.pdf");
                break;
            case "Invoice":
                string invoiceHtml = "<h1>Invoice</h1><p>This is a dynamically generated invoice.</p>";
                PdfDocument invoicePdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(invoiceHtml);
                invoicePdf.SaveAs("Invoice.pdf");
                break;
            default:
                string defaultHtml = "<h1>Document</h1><p>This is a default PDF document.</p>";
                PdfDocument defaultPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(defaultHtml);
                defaultPdf.SaveAs("Default.pdf");
                break;
        }
    }
}

In this example, the switch statement controls which document type is generated. If the docType is "Report," a report PDF will be created. If it's "Invoice," an invoice will be generated. If no match is found, a default PDF is created instead.

Conclusion

By leveraging the switch case C# statement and IronPDF, you can create dynamic, customizable PDF documents with minimal effort. Whether you need to generate reports, invoices, or other types of documents, this combination offers flexibility and efficiency. Using statements such as an if statement works great if you're processing just one or two potential outcomes, but switch statements can greatly improve the clarity of your code when working with multiple outcomes.

Using the switch block to output different PDF types is a great way of leveraging IronPDF to a whole new level. With a large set of rich features, great performance, and cross-platform compatibility, IronPDF is a powerful PDF generation tool to have at your fingertips. Don't just take our word for it—download the free trial today and see for yourself how it can streamline your PDF workflows!