Learning All About Python if else Statement
The concept of Python if else statement works on the logic that a piece of code will be executed only if a certain condition is true, else not.
Table of Contents
We will be covering the following sections today:
- Python if Statement
- Python if… else Statement
- Python if…elif… else Statement
- Python Nested if… else Statements
Python if Statement Syntax
Here’s the syntax for a simple if statement in Python:
if test expression:
statement(s)
Python evaluates the test expression, and the statement(s) will be executed only if the test expression is True. In case the expression is False, the statement(s) is/are not executed.
In Python, the body of the if statement is indicated by the indentation. So, the first non-indented line marks the end of the body.
NOTE: In Python, non-zero values are interpreted as True, whereas None and 0 are interpreted as False.
Let’s look at the Python if Statement flowchart –
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Python if Statement Implementation Example
Example 1:
num = 7
if (num%2) == 0: print(num, "is an even number.")print("Even numbers are divible by 2.")
Output 1:
The condition (num % 2) == 0 is not true because (7 % 2) would give 1 (as remainder). So, the body of the statement is not executed and only the statement outside the body is displayed.
Example 2:
num = -1
if num < 0: print(num, "is not a positive number.")print("Numbers less than 0 are negative.")
Output 2:
The condition num < 0 is true because -1 < 0. So, the body of the statement is executed. The statement outside the body is displayed regardless.
Python if… else Statement Syntax
Here’s the syntax for if…else statement in Python:
if test expression: Body of ifelse: Body of else
The if…else statement evaluates the test expression and executes the body of if only when the test expression is True. In case the expression is False, the body of else will be executed.
Here too, indentation is used to separate the blocks of statements.
Let’s look at the Python if…else Statement flowchart –
Python if… else Statement Implementation Example
Example 1:
age = 11
if age >= 13 and age <= 19: print("Person is a teenager")else: print("Person is not a teenager")
Output 1:
The condition is not true because the given age is 11. Hence, the body of the else statement is executed.
Example 2:
a = 2
if a >= 0: print("This is a whole number")else: print("This is not a whole number")
Output 2:
We know that whole numbers are integer values greater than or equal to 0. The given input is clearly greater than 0. So, the condition is true. Therefore, the body of the if statement is executed.
Python if… elif… else Statement Syntax
Here’s the syntax for if…elif…else statement in Python:
if test expression 1: Body of ifelif test expression 2: Body of elifelse: Body of else
- The if…elif…else statement first evaluates the test expression for the if statement and executes the body of if only when its test expression is True.
- Otherwise, it moves on to the test expression of the elif statement. Note that elif stands for else-if. In case the elif condition is True, the body of elif is executed. There can be multiple elif statements.
- Lastly, in case all the test expressions are False, the body of else will be executed.
Here too, indentation is used to separate the blocks of statements.
Let’s look at the Python if…elif…else Statement flowchart –
Python if… elif… else Statement Implementation Example
Example:
age = 12
if age >= 13 and age <= 19: print("Person is a teenager")elif age >= 0 and age < 13: print("Person is a prepubescent")else: print("Person is an adult")
Output:
As we can see from the code above, the age given is 12. So, the elif text expression is true. Therefore, the body of the elif statement is executed.
Nested if… else Statements
You can use any form of the if…else statement inside another if…else statement in Python. This concept is known as nesting in the programming world.
Any number of statements can be nested inside one another. The only way to separate the level of nesting is through indentation. Hence, indentation is extremely important in Python.
However, this can get easily complicated for large program codes. Hence, nesting is avoided unless necessary.
Example Syntax
Here’s an example syntax for nested if…else statements:
if test expression 1: Body of if if test expression 1.1: Body of nested if elif test expression 1.2: Body of nested elif else: Body of nested elseelse: Body of else
- In the above snippet, the outer if statement consists of nested if…elif…else statements.
- If the test expression for the outer if statement is True, only then will the nested if…elif…else statements be executed.
- The body of nested if will be executed in case the nested if condition is True.
- Otherwise, the body of nested elif will be executed in case the nested elif condition is True.
- Otherwise, the body of nested else will be executed.
- In case the test expression for the outer if statement is False, the body of outer else will be executed.
Nested if… else Statements Implementation Example
Example:
Consider the following example of a swimming camp being held for boys in a small town. Only boys under the age of 18 are allowed to join the camp and learn swimming free of cost. Let’s see how the nested if…else statements can be used to filter the people interested in attending the camp:
#Boys' Swimming Class
sex = input('Enter sex (M/F): ')age = int(input('Enter age: '))
if sex == 'M': if age >= 13 and age < 19: print("Person is a teenager: allowed in group 1") elif age >= 0 and age < 13: print("Person is a prepubescent: allowed in group 2") else: print("Person is an adult: not allowed")else: print("Person is not allowed")
Output:
As we can see from the code above, the if condition is to check whether the person is male or not. Since this condition is True, we move on to the nested if…elif…else statements.
Now, we check the age of the male candidate, since the given age is greater than 18, the male is clearly an adult and hence, the body of the nested else is executed.
Endnotes
Hope this article was helpful for you to understand the various forms of if… else statements and how they are used for decision-making in Python. Want to learn more about and practice Python programming? Explore Python related articles here.
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