But there is no "inside": case and default are like (slightly restricted) goto labels. They mark a place in the code, nothing more, and, as with goto labels, th

But there is no "inside": case and default are like (slightly restricted) goto labels. They mark a place in the code, nothing more, and, as with goto labels, they can be inside nested scopes. That's why you need the "break" to explicitly leave the switch - because when execution reaches a label, it just continues. The label is a marker, nothing more. (In terms of restrictions: case/default have to be inside the switch statement somewhere, and not inside some additional switch statement nested within it. But aside from that, as demonstrated by the article, you have a good deal of freedom about where they go.)