Default case in a switch condition

Question

I have this code:

  #include<stdio.h>                                      int main()   {          int a=10;       switch(a)       {          case '1':           printf("ONE\n");           break;       case '2':           printf("TWO\n");           break;       defalut:           printf("NONE\n");       }          return 0;   } 

The program doesn't print anything, not even NONE. I figured out that default had a typo defalut!
I want to know why this syntax error is not detected by the compiler.

Answer 1

defalut is just a label in your program that you can jump to with goto. Having an editor that highlights keywords could have made this error easier to spot.

I should also note that your program may have some logic errors. The character '1' is not the same as 1, and the same with '2' and 2.