"fall-through" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fall through"
      },
      "expansion": "Deverbal from fall through",
      "name": "deverbal"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "<tt>switch (x) {\ncase 1:\n printf(\"Printed when x=1\");\n break;\ncase 2:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2\");\ncase 3:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2 or x=3\");\n break;</tt>\n}",
        "2": "A case statement in the C programming language containing a fall-through. Because the second case has no \"break\" at the end, execution will \"fall through\" to the third case."
      },
      "expansion": "switch (x) {\ncase 1:\n printf(\"Printed when x=1\");\n break;\ncase 2:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2\");\ncase 3:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2 or x=3\");\n break;\n}\nA case statement in the C programming language containing a fall-through. Because the second case has no \"break\" at the end, execution will \"fall through\" to the third case.",
      "name": "text float box"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Deverbal from fall through.\nswitch (x) {\ncase 1:\n printf(\"Printed when x=1\");\n break;\ncase 2:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2\");\ncase 3:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2 or x=3\");\n break;\n}\nA case statement in the C programming language containing a fall-through. Because the second case has no \"break\" at the end, execution will \"fall through\" to the third case.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fall-throughs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "fall-through (countable and uncountable, plural fall-throughs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English deverbals",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Programming",
          "orig": "en:Programming",
          "parents": [
            "Computing",
            "Software engineering",
            "Technology",
            "Computer science",
            "Engineering",
            "Software",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Media",
            "Fundamental",
            "Communication"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1997, Bjarne Stroustrup, The C++ Programming Language: Language Libraries and Design",
          "text": "It is a good idea to comment the (rare) cases in which a fall-through is intentional so that an uncommented fall-through can be assumed to be an error.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2001, Graham M Seed, Barry J Cooper, An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming in C++",
          "text": "If you place default elsewhere, then a break will be required to prevent fall-through.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Nagel et al, Professional C# 2008",
          "text": "Specifically, it prohibits fall-through conditions in almost all cases."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In certain programming constructs, the situation where execution passes to the next condition in a list unless explicitly redirected."
      ],
      "id": "en-fall-through-en-noun-ig5JYZ8o",
      "links": [
        [
          "programming",
          "programming#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "programming",
          "programming"
        ],
        [
          "construct",
          "construct"
        ],
        [
          "execution",
          "execution"
        ],
        [
          "condition",
          "condition"
        ],
        [
          "redirect",
          "redirect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(programming) In certain programming constructs, the situation where execution passes to the next condition in a list unless explicitly redirected."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "flowthrough"
        },
        {
          "word": "passthrough"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "fallthrough"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "programming",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "fall-through"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fall through"
      },
      "expansion": "Deverbal from fall through",
      "name": "deverbal"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "<tt>switch (x) {\ncase 1:\n printf(\"Printed when x=1\");\n break;\ncase 2:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2\");\ncase 3:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2 or x=3\");\n break;</tt>\n}",
        "2": "A case statement in the C programming language containing a fall-through. Because the second case has no \"break\" at the end, execution will \"fall through\" to the third case."
      },
      "expansion": "switch (x) {\ncase 1:\n printf(\"Printed when x=1\");\n break;\ncase 2:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2\");\ncase 3:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2 or x=3\");\n break;\n}\nA case statement in the C programming language containing a fall-through. Because the second case has no \"break\" at the end, execution will \"fall through\" to the third case.",
      "name": "text float box"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Deverbal from fall through.\nswitch (x) {\ncase 1:\n printf(\"Printed when x=1\");\n break;\ncase 2:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2\");\ncase 3:\n printf(\"Printed when x=2 or x=3\");\n break;\n}\nA case statement in the C programming language containing a fall-through. Because the second case has no \"break\" at the end, execution will \"fall through\" to the third case.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fall-throughs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "fall-through (countable and uncountable, plural fall-throughs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "flowthrough"
    },
    {
      "word": "passthrough"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English deverbals",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English phrasal nouns",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "en:Programming"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1997, Bjarne Stroustrup, The C++ Programming Language: Language Libraries and Design",
          "text": "It is a good idea to comment the (rare) cases in which a fall-through is intentional so that an uncommented fall-through can be assumed to be an error.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2001, Graham M Seed, Barry J Cooper, An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming in C++",
          "text": "If you place default elsewhere, then a break will be required to prevent fall-through.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Nagel et al, Professional C# 2008",
          "text": "Specifically, it prohibits fall-through conditions in almost all cases."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In certain programming constructs, the situation where execution passes to the next condition in a list unless explicitly redirected."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "programming",
          "programming#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "programming",
          "programming"
        ],
        [
          "construct",
          "construct"
        ],
        [
          "execution",
          "execution"
        ],
        [
          "condition",
          "condition"
        ],
        [
          "redirect",
          "redirect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(programming) In certain programming constructs, the situation where execution passes to the next condition in a list unless explicitly redirected."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "programming",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "fallthrough"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fall-through"
}