Enter an integer:
0
The number 0 is zero or positive
Good-bye for now

More than one Statement per Branch

Here is the program again with some added statements:

import java.util.Scanner;

public class NumberTester
{
  public static void main (String[] args)
  {
    Scanner scan = new Scanner( System.in );
    int num;

    System.out.println("Enter an integer:");
    num = scan.nextInt();

    if ( num < 0 )
    {
      System.out.println("The number " + num + " is negative.");   // true-branch
      System.out.println("Negative numbers are less than zero.");  // true-branch
    } 
    else
    {
      System.out.println("The number " + num +                     // false-branch
        " is zero or positive.");                                  // false-branch
      System.out.print  ("Positive numbers are greater ");         // false-branch
      System.out.println("than zero. ");                           // false-branch
    }

    System.out.println("Good-bye for now");    // always executed
  }
}

To include more than one statement in a branch, enclose the statements with braces, { and }. A group of statements grouped together like this is called a block statement, (or usually, just block).

There can be as many statements as you want in a block. A block can go any place a single statement can go. All the statements in the true block are executed when the answer to the question is true.

Of course, all the statements in the false block are executed when the answer to the question is false. The false block consists of the block that follows the else. Notice that the very last statement in the program is not part of the false block.

Indenting: Indent all the statements in a block to the same level. If a statement takes more than one line, the additional lines are further indented. In these notes, braces each have their own line and are indented to the same level as the if and else. But different coding standards call for different formats. It is important to be consistent.