I am relatively new to C/C++ and i was wondering how I could use for loop so I wouldn't have to make a bunch of switch statements I have already made the switch statement I just need help on integrating the for loop into it. Thank you.

#include <stdio.h>
#pragma warning(disable :   4996)
int main()  {
    char    ch;
    ch = getchar();
    int f, a = 10, b = 20;
    printf("ch  =   %c\n", ch);

    switch (ch) {
    case '+':   f = a + b;  printf("f   =   %d\n", f); break;
    case '-':   f = a - b;  printf("f   =   %d\n", f); break;
    case '*':   f = a * b;  printf("f   =   %d\n", f); break;
    case '/':   f = a / b;  printf("f   =   %d\n", f); break;
    default:    printf("invalid operator\n");
    }

}

the purpose of the program is to enter in either +,-,*,/ and then based on that input it will execute the case that was entered in so + would add a and be together.

Basically, you need to map operator characters to operations.

Your current code represents that mapping via execution flow control.

In C++ the standard library's map collection is a good choice for instead representing it as data, so that you don't even need to use a loop. In C an array of structs where each contains a char and a function pointer, can do the same job. However, you then have to define the functions yourself, because unlike the C++ standard library the C standard library doesn't provide convenient named functions for the arithmetic operations.

In a similar fashion, a Boolean state, whether something is true or false, can be represented as an execution position or as data, usually as a variable of type bool. What to choose is mainly engineering gut feeling. Sometimes representation via flow control is simplest and most clear, sometimes representation as data is simplest and most clear.

C++ example, mostly reproducing the given example code's effect, but with the mapping as data:

#include <iostream>
#include <functional>
#include <map>
using namespace std;

auto main() -> int
{
    const map<char, function<int(int,int)>> op =
    {
        { '+', plus<int>() },
        { '-', minus<int>() },
        { '*', multiplies<int>() },
        { '/', divides<int>() }
    };

    char  ch;
    cout << "Operator? ";  cin >> ch;
    cout << "ch = '" << ch << "'\n";

    if( op.count( ch ) == 0 )
    {
        cout << "invalid operator\n";
    }
    else
    {
        const int a = 10;
        const int b = 20;
        cout << "f   =   " << op.at( ch )( a, b ) << "\n";
    }
}

Corresponding C example, which does include a for loop as mentioned in the question:

#include <stdio.h>

int plus( int a, int b )        { return a+b; }
int minus( int a, int b )       { return a-b; }
int multiplies( int a, int b )  { return a*b; }
int divides( int a, int b )     { return a/b; }

typedef int(*Func_ptr)(int, int);

struct Mapping
{
    char        ch;
    Func_ptr    f;
};

const struct Mapping op[] =
{
    { '+', plus },
    { '-', minus },
    { '*', multiplies },
    { '/', divides }
};

const int n_ops = sizeof( op )/sizeof( *op );

Func_ptr op_at( char ch )
{
    for( int i = 0; i < n_ops; ++i )
    {
        if( op[i].ch == ch ) { return op[i].f; }
    }
    return NULL;
}

int main()
{

    int  ch;        // Note: type `int` to accommodate EOF value.
    printf( "Operator? " );  ch = getchar();
    printf( "ch = '%c'\n", ch );

    if( op_at( ch ) == NULL )
    {
        printf( "invalid operator\n" );
    }
    else
    {
        const int a = 10;
        const int b = 20;
        printf( "f   =   %d\n", op_at( ch )( a, b ) );
    }
}

C11, I think it was, introduced some machinery for effectively overloading functions so they can be used much like overloaded functions in C++. I don't remember much about and didn't use it here. I would suggest that if you need to handle different data types, just use different function names.

Note that the C example also compiles as C++, so both these examples are technically C++. However, the last example is in C style, using C idioms and C i/o, and does things that are unnecessary in C++. We usually just say that such code is C, not that it's C style; such code might not always compile as C++, because while C is largely a subset of C++ these are two different, separate languages: there is technically no such thing as C/C++.

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