switch Over Enums Exhaustively

When a value is one of a few choices, switch handles each case cleanly. Enums and switch are a natural pair.

List one case per enum member and the code to run for it. Dart matches the value to its case and runs that branch.

Over an enum, Dart checks that you handle every member. Miss one and the analyzer warns you before you run.

This safety net is gold: add a new enum member later and the compiler points to every switch you must update.

A switch expression returns a value instead of running statements. Use the fat arrow to map each case to a result.

In a switch expression each case uses case-value => result. Commas separate them, making a compact lookup table.

Unlike some languages, Dart cases do not fall through. Each case runs only its own code, so no stray break is needed.

A default or _ case catches anything you did not list. But over enums, prefer handling each member for full safety.

Adding a catch-all default satisfies the switch, so Dart stops warning about missing members. Use it sparingly.

Let two members share a branch by listing them together. Both run the same code without repeating yourself.

Skipping the default on enums is a feature, not a chore. It turns the compiler into a checklist for future changes.

What does exhaustive switching over an enum give you?

You saw switch handle each enum case, return values as an expression, and warn when a member is unhandled. Skip default for safety. 🎯