Unlocking the Power of if-else in Python

Basic if-else Statement

The simplest form of conditional logic in Python is the if-else statement. It checks whether a condition is true or false and executes a specific block of code based on that.

x = 10

if x > 5:
    print("x is greater than 5")
else:
    print("x is less than or equal to 5")

x is greater than 5

Here, if x is greater than 5, the first block will run; otherwise, the second block runs.

if-elif-else for Multiple Conditions

For more complex decision-making, you can use elif (short for “else if”) to check multiple conditions.

age = 25

if age < 18:
    print("You're a minor.")
elif 18 <= age < 65:
    print("You're an adult.")
else:
    print("You're a senior citizen.")

You're an adult.

In this example, the program checks multiple conditions and executes the first true block of code.

Nested if-else Statements

You can nest if-else statements to handle more specific conditions.

num = 10

if num > 0:
    if num % 2 == 0:
        print(f"{num} is a positive even number")
    else:
        print(f"{num} is a positive odd number")
else:
    print("The number is zero or negative")

10 is a positive even number

Nested if-else statements can provide more detailed control but should be used carefully to avoid overly complex code.

Ternary Operator

Python also supports a shorthand version of the if-else statement called the ternary operator, which is useful for concise conditions.

x = 5
result = "Even" if x % 2 == 0 else "Odd"
print(result)

Odd

This one-liner evaluates the condition and assigns the value based on whether the condition is true or false.