Control Structures and Loops in Ruby

February 28, 2024

Here, we will explore the control structures and looping mechanisms in Ruby, such as if-else statements, switch cases, while and for loops. This will enable learners to control the flow of their Ruby programs effectively.

If-Else Statements

One of the fundamental control structures in Ruby is the if-else statement. It allows the program to execute different blocks of code based on a condition. The syntax for an if-else statement in Ruby is as follows:

if <condition>
  # code to be executed if the condition is true
else
  # code to be executed if the condition is false
end

Switch Cases

In Ruby, the case statement is used to compare the value of a variable against a list of values and execute the corresponding block of code. The syntax for a switch case in Ruby is as follows:

case <variable>
when <value1>
  # code to be executed if variable is equal to value1
when <value2>
  # code to be executed if variable is equal to value2
else
  # code to be executed if variable does not match any value
end

While Loops

A while loop in Ruby allows a block of code to be executed repeatedly as long as a specified condition is true. The syntax for a while loop in Ruby is as follows:

while <condition>
  # code to be executed while the condition is true
end

For Loops

Ruby also supports for loops, which allow a block of code to be executed for a specific number of times. The syntax for a for loop in Ruby is as follows:

for <variable> in <range or collection>
  # code to be executed for each iteration
end

These control structures and looping mechanisms are essential for controlling the flow of a Ruby program. By understanding and effectively using these constructs, developers can write more efficient and powerful Ruby code.