if statement python

In Python, conditional statements allow you to control the flow of your program based on specific conditions. These conditional statements are commonly referred to as if-statements.
When an if-statement is evaluated as true, the corresponding block of code is executed.

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Understanding If Statements in Python

To better grasp the concept, let’s look at an example. Depending on the value of the variable x, either the first or the second block of code will execute.

x = 3
if x > 10:
    print("x smaller than 10")
else:
    print("x is bigger than 10 or equal")

By changing the value of x, you can control which block of code gets executed. Note that in Python, we use indentation (typically 4 spaces) to define code blocks.

Try it Out:
Variables in Python don’t always have to be hardcoded. For instance, consider this simple game where the user has to guess an age:

age = 24
print "Guess my age, you have 1 chances!"
guess = int(raw_input("Guess: "))

if guess != age:
    print("Wrong!")
else:
    print("Correct")

Understanding Conditional Operators

When working with if-statements, you’ll often rely on conditional operators to evaluate conditions.

Operator	Description
!=	not equal
==	equals
>	greater than
<	smaller than

It’s essential to understand the difference between the assignment operator (=) and the equals operator (==).

Delving into Nested Conditions

For scenarios where you need to evaluate multiple conditions, nested if-statements can be used:

a = 12
b = 33

if a > 10:
    if b > 20:
        print("Good")

While nesting is effective, it can make code harder to read, especially with many conditions. Thankfully, Python offers a more concise approach using the and keyword to combine conditions.

guess = 24
if guess > 10 and guess < 20:
    print("In range")
else:
    print("Out of range")

In some cases, you might also find the or operator useful, allowing for either of the conditions to be true for the code block to execute.

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