Switch statement: must default be the last case?

Question

Consider the following switch statement:

switch( value )
{
  case 1:
    return 1;
  default:
    value++;
    // fall-through
  case 2:
    ret         


        

Answer 1

One scenario where I would consider it appropriate to have a 'default' located somewhere other than the end of a case statement is in a state machine where an invalid state should reset the machine and proceed as though it were the initial state. For example:

switch(widget_state)
{
  default:  /* Fell off the rails--reset and continue */
    widget_state = WIDGET_START;
    /* Fall through */
  case WIDGET_START:
    ...
    break;
  case WIDGET_WHATEVER:
    ...
    break;
}

an alternative arrangement, if an invalid state should not reset the machine but should be readily identifiable as an invalid state:

switch(widget_state)
{
  case WIDGET_IDLE:
    widget_ready = 0;
    widget_hardware_off();
    break;
  case WIDGET_START:
    ...
    break;
  case WIDGET_WHATEVER:
    ...
    break;
  default:
    widget_state = WIDGET_INVALID_STATE;
    /* Fall through */
  case WIDGET_INVALID_STATE:
    widget_ready = 0;
    widget_hardware_off();
    ... do whatever else is necessary to establish a "safe" condition
}

Code elsewhere may then check for (widget_state == WIDGET_INVALID_STATE) and provide whatever error-reporting or state-reset behavior seems appropriate. For example, the status-bar code could show an error icon, and the "start widget" menu option which is disabled in most non-idle states could be enabled for WIDGET_INVALID_STATE as well as WIDGET_IDLE.