If Statements in Python

Have you ever wanted your Python program to make a decision based on certain conditions? If so, then you need to learn about if statements in Python!

What are if statements?

If statements are used in programming languages to control the flow of execution of a program. In simpler terms, they help you make decisions based on certain conditions.

The basic structure of an if statement in Python

An if statement in Python starts with the keyword “if” followed by a condition that needs to be evaluated. If the condition is true, then the code inside the if statement is executed. Here’s an example:

x = 5
if x == 5:
    print("x is equal to 5")

In the example above, we declare a variable x and assign it the value of 5. Then, we use an if statement to check if x is equal to 5. Since this condition is true, the program will execute the code inside the if statement which is to print “x is equal to 5”.

The “else” statement

What if the condition inside an if statement is false? In that case, you can use the “else” statement to execute a different block of code. Here’s an example:

x = 10
if x == 5:
    print("x is equal to 5")
else:
    print("x is not equal to 5")

In this example, x is assigned the value of 10. The if statement checks if x is equal to 5, which is false. Since the condition is false, the program executes the code inside the else statement which is to print “x is not equal to 5”.

The “elif” statement

You can also use the “elif” statement to check for multiple conditions. Here’s an example:

x = 10
if x == 5:
    print("x is equal to 5")
elif x == 10:
    print("x is equal to 10")
else:
    print("x is not equal to 5 or 10")

In this example, x is assigned the value of 10. The if statement checks if x is equal to 5, which is false. Then, the elif statement checks if x is equal to 10, which is true. So, the program executes the code inside the elif statement which is to print “x is equal to 10”. If none of the conditions are true, then the program will execute the code inside the else statement.

Conclusion

If statements are an essential part of programming in Python. They help you make decisions based on certain conditions and control the flow of execution of a program. By using if statements with else and elif statements, you can make your Python program more powerful and flexible.