Powershell Switch statement with multiple values

Question

Anyone know how I can have a switch statement with multiple possible values like the example below?

switch ($myNumber) {
   1 3 5 7 9 { write-host "Odd" }
   2 4 6 8 10 {write-host "Even" }
}

Used to be easy in VBScript, so I'm sure i'm just missing something simple.

e.g in VBScript

Select Case myNumber 
   Case 1,3,5,7,9
      MsgBox "Odd"
   Case 2,4,6,8,10
      MsgBox "Even"
End Select

Cheers in advance,

Ben

score 13 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 14 '10 at 10:38

13

$myNumber = 3
$arrA = 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
$arrB = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
switch ($myNumber) { 
    {$arrA -contains $_} { write-host "Odd" } 
    {$arrB -contains $_} { write-host "Even" }
}

answered Jul 14 '10 at 10:38

Torai

404
2
5

+1 Using -eq instead of -contains is even better. – Bernie White Aug 08 '12 at 03:26

score 12 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 14 '10 at 10:37

12

In your case you can simply use

switch ($myNumber) {
  { $_ % 2 -eq 1 } { "Odd" }
  { $_ % 2 -eq 0 } { "Even" }
}

An actual attempt to model what you can do there in VB would probably be something like

switch ($myNumber) {
  { 1,3,5,7,9  -contains $_ } { "Odd" }
  { 2,4,6,8,10 -contains $_ } { "Even" }
}

answered Jul 14 '10 at 10:37

Joey

1,853
11
13

I like this one better because it's more familiar to traditional switch statements. – Mark Henderson Apr 13 '12 at 08:49

Jindra · Answer 3 · 2019-09-29T09:31:29.060

2

switch ($myNumber) {
{$_ -in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9} { write-host "Odd" }
{$_ -in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10} {write-host "Even" }
}

edited Sep 29 '19 at 09:31

answered Sep 29 '19 at 09:23

Jindra

21
2

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 30 '17 at 16:05

Adding this for completeness...

The closest PowerShell code to the above VB script is:

PS C:\> switch (1) {  
  {$_ -eq 1 -or $_ -eq 3 -or $_ -eq 5 -or $_ -eq 7 -or $_ -eq 9} { "Odd"}
  {$_ -eq 2 -or $_ -eq 4 -or $_ -eq 6 -or $_ -eq 8 -or $_ -eq 10} { "Even"}
}
Odd

PS C:\VSProjects\Virtus\App_VM> switch (2) {  
  {$_ -eq 1 -or $_ -eq 3 -or $_ -eq 5 -or $_ -eq 7 -or $_ -eq 9} { "Odd"}
  {$_ -eq 2 -or $_ -eq 4 -or $_ -eq 6 -or $_ -eq 8 -or $_ -eq 10} { "Even"}
}
Even

Because the VB script Select Case operates via an OR

Select Case testexpression
   [Case expressionlist-n
      [statements-n]] . . .
   [Case Else
      [elsestatements-n]]
End Select

"If testexpression matches any Case expressionlist expression, the statements following that Case clause are executed up to the next Case clause..." Select Case Statement

The interesting thing that I have not been able to figure out is this result:

PS C:\> switch (1) {  
  {1 -or 3 -or 5 -or 7 -or 9} { "Odd"}
  {2 -or 4 -or 6 -or 8 -or 10} { "Even"}
}
Odd
Even

score -1 · Answer 5 · answered Jan 09 '15 at 00:16

-1

How about this for an easy alternative using regex?

switch -regex ($myNumber)
{
   "^[13579]$"     { Write-Host "Odd" }
   "^([2468]|10)$" { Write-Host "Even" }
   default         { Write-Host "Other" }
}

answered Jan 09 '15 at 00:16

Simon

1
1

1

-1 for the `|10` part. – Deer Hunter Jan 09 '15 at 00:37

Powershell Switch statement with multiple values

5 Answers5