C# switch statement - Unreachable code detected -

[Franco22]

I can't for the life of me figure out why I keep getting this error. This is the code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;


namespace MyFunctions
{
public class TextFunctions
{
public string GetMonth(int num)
{
try
{
switch (num)
{
case 1:
return "January";
break;
case 2:
return "February";
break;
case 3:
return "March";
break;
case 4:
return "April";
break;
case 5:
return "May";
break;
case 6:
return "June";
break;
case 7:
return "July";
break;
case 8:
return "August";
break;
case 9:
return "September";
break;
case 10:
return "October";
break;
case 11:
return "November";
break;
case 12:
return "December";
break;
default:
MessageBox.Show("No such month!! Month number must be 1 to 12.");
return "Number out of range";
break;
}
}
catch (FormatException ex)
{
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
}
}

The compiler flags the 'break' statements with this message. It also flags the GetMonth label with "not all code paths return a value". What am I doing wrong?

[Franco22]

I came upon this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/120967 which indicates that this problem is a bug in C++. Apparently, it has been carried over into C#.

[Phil Weber]

You can avoid the errors by rewriting the code like this:

        static string GetMonth(int num)
        {
            string returnValue = "";

            try
            {
                switch (num)
                {
                    case 1:
                        returnValue = "January";
                        break;
                    case 2:
                        returnValue = "February";
                        break;
                    case 3:
                        returnValue = "March";
                        break;
                    case 4:
                        returnValue = "April";
                        break;
                    case 5:
                        returnValue = "May";
                        break;
                    case 6:
                        returnValue = "June";
                        break;
                    case 7:
                        returnValue = "July";
                        break;
                    case 8:
                        returnValue = "August";
                        break;
                    case 9:
                        returnValue = "September";
                        break;
                    case 10:
                        returnValue = "October";
                        break;
                    case 11:
                        returnValue = "November";
                        break;
                    case 12:
                        returnValue = "December";
                        break;
                    default:
                        returnValue = "Number out of range";
                        break;
                }
            }
            catch (FormatException ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
            }

            return returnValue;
        }

Or better still, do this:

return new System.Globalization.DateTimeFormatInfo().GetMonthName(num);

;-)

[Franco22]

Thanks Phil. I just knew there had to be a easier way than mine. I just hadn't gotten to the chapter in my book that deals with date and time. As usual, you've provided an eloquent solution to the problem. Thanks again.

[Phil Weber]

FYI, I found it by going into Visual Studio's Object Browser and searching for "MonthName".