AP Computer Science Exam Question

Consider the following code snippet:

public class ControlFlowExample {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
      int x = 5;
      
      if (x > 10) {
         System.out.println("x is greater than 10.");
      } else if (x > 7) {
         System.out.println("x is greater than 7 but less than or equal to 10.");
      } else if (x > 5) {
         System.out.println("x is greater than 5 but less than or equal to 7.");
      } else {
         System.out.println("x is less than or equal to 5.");
      }
   }
}

Write down the output generated by the given code and explain the control flow of the program.

Answer and Explanation

The output of the given code snippet will be:

x is greater than 5 but less than or equal to 7.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of the control flow in the program:

1. The variable x is initialized with the value 5.
2. The first if statement is evaluated: x > 10. Since 5 > 10 is false, the code block associated with this if statement (System.out.println("x is greater than 10.")) is skipped.
3. The second else if statement is evaluated: x > 7. Since 5 > 7 is false, the code block associated with this else if statement (System.out.println("x is greater than 7 but less than or equal to 10.")) is skipped.
4. The third else if statement is evaluated: x > 5. Since 5 > 5 is false, the code block associated with this else if statement (System.out.println("x is greater than 5 but less than or equal to 7.")) is skipped.
5. Finally, the else statement is reached since none of the previous conditions were satisfied. The code block associated with the else statement (System.out.println("x is less than or equal to 5.")) is executed, resulting in the output: "x is less than or equal to 5."