What is the purpose of the switch statement in Java?

In Java, the switch statement is used to choose and execute different code blocks based on the value of an expression. It can replace a series of consecutive if-else statements, making the code more concise and easier to read. The switch statement works by selecting and executing the code block under the case label that corresponds to the value of the expression. If there is no matching case label, the code block under the default label (optional) is executed. The switch statement can be used to handle integers, characters, enumerated types, and other limited value ranges.