Objects: A Clean Alternative to Switch Statements in JavaScript

Switch statement have been a staple of JavaScript for conditionals. But what if there’s a more readable and maintainable way? Enter object literals, JavaScript’s versatile data structures, offering a compelling alternative to switch statements in many scenarios.

Table of contents

Why Consider Objects?

While switch statements work well, they can become cumbersome with numerous cases. Here’s where objects shine:

• Readability: Object literals map conditions (keys) to actions (values), making code intent clearer.
• Maintainability: Adding new cases involves simply adding a key-value pair, keeping logic organized.
• Flexibility: Objects can hold functions as values, allowing for more complex logic within each case.
• Default Handling: The optional default key is great for handling any unmatched conditions.

Making the Switch 🥸

Let’s see how an object can replace a switch statement. Imagine a function that greets users based on their language preference:

function greet(language) {
  switch (language) {
    case "en":
      return "Hello!";
    case "es":
      return "¡Hola!";
    default:
      return "Hi!";
  }
}

Here’s the equivalent using an object:

const greetings = {
  en: () => "Hello!",
  es: () => "¡Hola!",
  default: () => "Hi!",
};

function greet(language) {
  return greetings[language] ? greetings[language]() : greetings.default();
}

The object greetings stores greetings for specific languages. The function retrieves the appropriate greeting using bracket notation and calls it as a function if it exists. Otherwise, the default greeting is returned.

When to Use This Approach

While objects offer advantages, consider these points:

• Performance: Switch statements might have a slight performance edge for simple lookups.
• Complexity: For intricate logic within cases, functions within objects might be preferable.

Source(s)

The inspiration to write this post comes from this TomDoesTech video I came across way back. I think Tom makes really great videos and his channel is worth giving a look 🙏.