When you write multiple if statements, it's possible that more than one of them will be evaluated to true, since the statements are independent of each other.

When you write a single if else-if else-if ... else statement, only one condition can be evaluated to true (once the first condition that evaluates to true is found, the next else-if conditions are skipped).

You can make multiple if statements behave like a single if else-if .. else statement if each of the condition blocks breaks out of the block that contains the if statements (for example, by returning from the method or breaking from a loop).

For example :

public void foo (int x)
{
    if (x>7) {
        ...
        return;
    }
    if (x>5) {
        ...
        return;
    }    
}

Will have the same behavior as :

public void foo (int x)
{
    if (x>7) {
        ...
    }
    else if (x>5) {
        ...
    }
}

But without the return statements it will have different behavior when x>5 and x>7 are both true.

Answer from Eran on Stack Overflow
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › java › java-if-else-if-ladder-with-examples
Java if-else-if ladder with Examples - GeeksforGeeks
January 16, 2026 - The if-else-if ladder in Java is a decision-making construct used to evaluate multiple conditions sequentially. It allows a program to execute only one block of code from several possible options based on the first condition that evaluates to true.
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › Java › java_conditions_elseif.asp
Java The else if Statement
The value of time is 16. The first condition (time < 12) is false, but the second condition (time < 18) is true. Because of this, the else if block runs and prints "Good day.". If the value of time was 22, none of the conditions would be true, and the program would print "Good evening." instead:
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Oracle
docs.oracle.com › javase › tutorial › java › nutsandbolts › if.html
The if-then and if-then-else Statements (The Java™ Tutorials > Learning the Java Language > Language Basics)
If a second statement is later ... sort of error; you'll just get the wrong results. The if-then-else statement provides a secondary path of execution when an "if" clause evaluates to false....
Top answer
1 of 4
20

When you write multiple if statements, it's possible that more than one of them will be evaluated to true, since the statements are independent of each other.

When you write a single if else-if else-if ... else statement, only one condition can be evaluated to true (once the first condition that evaluates to true is found, the next else-if conditions are skipped).

You can make multiple if statements behave like a single if else-if .. else statement if each of the condition blocks breaks out of the block that contains the if statements (for example, by returning from the method or breaking from a loop).

For example :

public void foo (int x)
{
    if (x>7) {
        ...
        return;
    }
    if (x>5) {
        ...
        return;
    }    
}

Will have the same behavior as :

public void foo (int x)
{
    if (x>7) {
        ...
    }
    else if (x>5) {
        ...
    }
}

But without the return statements it will have different behavior when x>5 and x>7 are both true.

2 of 4
3

Yes, it makes a difference: see The if-then and if-then-else Statements.

Furthermore, you can easily test it.

Code #1:

    int someValue = 10;

    if(someValue > 0){
        System.out.println("someValue > 0");
    }

    if(someValue > 5){
        System.out.println("someValue > 5");
    }

Will output:

someValue > 0
someValue > 5

While code #2:

    int someValue = 10;

    if(someValue > 0){
        System.out.println("someValue > 0");
    }else if(someValue > 5){
        System.out.println("someValue > 5");
    }

Will only output:

someValue > 0

As you can see, code #2 never goes to the second block, as the first statement (someValue > 0) evaluates to true.

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Programiz
programiz.com › java-programming › if-else-statement
Java if...else Statement
Statements inside the body of else block are executed if the test expression is evaluated to false. This is known as the if-...else statement in Java.
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Dremendo
dremendo.com › java-programming-tutorial › java-if-else-if-statement
if else if Statement in Java Programming | Dremendo
Here you can see that the first condition (a==10) is false so the second condition (a==15) written in the else if statement is checked and the condition is also false, again the third condition (a==20) written in the else if statement is checked and this time the condition is true, so the statement which is written inside the curly braces { } of second else if statement has executed and the output is printed on the screen.
Find elsewhere
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-use-of-if-else-in-Java
What is the use of “if else” in Java? - Quora
Basic Java Programming La... ... Conditional Statements (p... ... The If else statement is basically the combination of the if statement and the else statement. It is what we call a conditional.
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DataCamp
datacamp.com › doc › java › java-if-else
Java If...Else
It is used to make decisions in your program, enabling different actions based on different inputs or states. The if...else statement evaluates a boolean expression. If the expression evaluates to true, the code block following the if statement is executed.
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Tutorialspoint
tutorialspoint.com › java › if_else_statement_in_java.htm
Java if-else Statement
The if statement in Java checks a Boolean expression and executes a specific block of code only if the condition is true. The if-else statement allows Java programs to handle both true and false conditions.
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AlgoMaster
algomaster.io › learn › java › if-else
If-Else Statements - Java
January 3, 2026 - At its core, an if-else statement allows your program to choose different paths of execution based on a boolean condition. If the condition evaluates to true, the code inside the if block runs; if it’s false, the code in the else block (if ...
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Dart
dart.dev › language
Introduction to Dart
Compare that to an if-else statement, which has no value. A statement often contains one or more expressions, but an expression can't directly contain a statement. Dart tools can report two kinds of problems: warnings and errors. Warnings are just indications that your code might not work, but they don't prevent your program from executing.
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Codespindle
codespindle.com › Java › Java_conditional_statements.html
Master Java Conditional Statements: if-else and Nested if-else
The syntax for the if-else statement is as follows: if (boolean expression) { // code to execute if the expression is true } else { // code to execute if the expression is false } The Boolean expression can be any expression that evaluates to a true or false value.
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YouTube
youtube.com › playlist
Java Tutorial For beginners - YouTube
Share your videos with friends, family, and the world
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Sololearn
sololearn.com › en › Discuss › 177343 › whats-the-difference-between-if-else-and-else-if-and-how-are-they-used
what's the difference between 'if else' and 'else if'? and how are they used? | Sololearn: Learn to code for FREE!
if(i == 0) ... //if i =0 this will work and skip following statement else if(i == 1) ...//if i not equal to 0 and if i =1 this will work and skip following statement else if(i == 2) ...// if i not equal to 0 and 1 and if i==2 the statement will ...
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Simplilearn
simplilearn.com › home › resources › software development › if else in java [syntax, parameters, examples]
If else in Java [Syntax, Parameters, Examples]
November 18, 2025 - If-else in Java is one of the most important decision making statements. Read the tutorial to know all about it's syntax, parameter values, and more now!
Address   5851 Legacy Circle, 6th Floor, Plano, TX 75024 United States
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PW Skills
pwskills.com › blog › java developer › if else statement java with examples
If Else Statement Java With Examples
November 4, 2025 - The importance of the decision-making process in Java programming and its effects on application functionality and efficiency will be explored in this article. Java offers a strong set of conditionally explicit statements, e.g., if-else and change, allowing developers to decide on various ...
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ZITOC
zitoc.com › if-else-java-statements
If Else Java Statements - ZITOC
February 15, 2024 - If you want to include more statements, you’ll need a block for multiple statements. ... if (a>b) { System.out.println(“a is greater: ”); System.out.println(“b is smaller: ”); } Else { System.out.println(“b is greater: ”); System.out.println(“a is smaller: ”); } A nested if in Java programming is also simple if statement that has another if statements in your body.