In .NET applications, choosing the right control structure can have a significant impact on performance, especially when working with a large number of conditions. Both If-Else and Switch Case serve similar purposes, but they are optimized for different scenarios. Here’s an in-depth comparison with a .NET 9 performance benchmark to understand the differences!

If-Else vs. Switch Case: Key Differences

• If-Else is better for complex conditions involving ranges, multiple variables, or compound logical expressions.

• Switch Case shines in cases where you are matching a single variable against constant values. .NET’s switch is optimized for these scenarios, especially in .NET 9, where it benefits from specific performance improvements.

Benchmarking in .NET 9

To objectively compare If-Else and Switch Case, I set up a benchmark using BenchmarkDotNet in .NET 9. The code below tests each structure’s efficiency when handling 100 conditions, simulating a high-load scenario.

using System;
using BenchmarkDotNet.Attributes;
using BenchmarkDotNet.Configs;
using BenchmarkDotNet.Jobs;
using BenchmarkDotNet.Running;

[MemoryDiagnoser] 
[SimpleJob(RuntimeMoniker.Net90, invocationCount: 1000000, iterationCount: 50)]
public class SwitchVsIfElseBenchmark
{
    private int number;

    [GlobalSetup]
    public void Setup()
    {
        Random random = new Random();
        number = random.Next(1, 101); 
    }

    [Benchmark]
    public int IfElse()
    {
        if (number == 1) return 1;
        else if (number == 2) return 2;
        else if (number == 3) return 3;
        else if (number == 4) return 4;
        else if (number == 5) return 5;
        else if (number == 6) return 6;
        else if (number == 7) return 7;
        else if (number == 8) return 8;
        else if (number == 9) return 9;
        else if (number == 10) return 10;
        // Add more conditions up to 100 for heavy load
        else if (number == 100) return 100;
        return 0; 
    }

    [Benchmark]
    public int Switch()
    {
        switch (number)
        {
            case 1: return 1;
            case 2: return 2;
            case 3: return 3;
            case 4: return 4;
            case 5: return 5;
            case 6: return 6;
            case 7: return 7;
            case 8: return 8;
            case 9: return 9;
            case 10: return 10;
            // Add more cases up to 100 for heavy load
            case 100: return 100;
            default: return 0; 
        }
    }
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var config = DefaultConfig.Instance
            .WithOptions(ConfigOptions.DisableOptimizationsValidator); 
        BenchmarkRunner.Run<SwitchVsIfElseBenchmark>(config);
    }
}

Benchmark Results Summary

Results Analysis

• Switch Case proved 4–5 times faster than If-Else in this scenario.

• The reduced latency for switch in .NET 9 makes it ideal for scenarios where a large number of single-value comparisons are required.

• Memory Usage: Both methods have minimal memory footprint, but switch is more optimized for high-frequency operations.

When to Use Each Structure

Use If-Else When:

• Conditions are complex or involve multiple variables.

• You’re checking ranges or compound logical expressions (e.g., if (x > 10 && y < 20)).

• The number of conditions is small, and readability is more important than slight performance gains.

Use Switch Case When:

• Matching a single variable against multiple constant values.

• Handling large sets of discrete options, like enums or integer values.

• Performance is critical, and the conditions are straightforward.

Key Takeaways

• If-Else is flexible and ideal for complex conditions, but can be slower for large, single-variable comparisons.

• Switch Case is highly optimized in .NET 9, making it the preferred choice for high-frequency scenarios with multiple discrete options.

• For performance-sensitive applications, use switch whenever feasible, especially in high-throughput systems.

Real-World Application

Consider this benchmark and tips when optimizing critical sections of your code, such as handling user input conditions, API request processing, or business rule engines.

Switch to switch if you’re looking for a performance boost in scenarios with single-value matching!

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