In a switch statement, what happens if no case matches the switch variable?

When a switch statement is executed and none of the specified case labels match the value of the switch variable, the default case is executed if it has been defined. The default case acts as a catch-all scenario for situations where there’s no match among the specified cases. This ensures that there is a pathway for the program's flow even when the provided cases do not correspond to the value being evaluated.

If a default case is included, the program executes its statements, allowing for graceful handling of unexpected values. However, if there is no default case defined and no matches are found, the switch statement simply completes without executing any of the case or default blocks, leading to a situation where no action is taken.

This mechanism provides flexibility in programming, enabling developers to handle all potential inputs efficiently and maintain control over program behavior, which is essential in many applications.