Python If Else - Python Guides

Python is a versatile programming language, and conditional statements are the cornerstone of any programming language. In Python, the if, else, and elif statements are used to control the flow of your program. Let us deep dive into how to use Python if else.

Table of Contents

What is an If Statement in Python?

An if statement in Python is used to check whether a condition is true or false. If the condition is true, the indented block of code under the if statement is executed.

Example:

city = "New York"

if city == "New York":
    print("Welcome to New York!")

In this example, the if statement checks whether the variable city is equal to “New York”. Since it is true, the message “Welcome to New York!” is printed. You can see the below output:

The Elif Statement in Python

The elif statement in Python is short for “else if”. It allows you to check multiple expressions for truth and execute a block of code as soon as one of the conditions is true.

Elif in Python Example:

city = "Los Angeles"

if city == "New York":
    print("Welcome to New York!")
elif city == "Los Angeles":
    print("Welcome to Los Angeles!")

In this example, since city is not “New York”, the condition in the if statement is false. The program then checks the elif condition, and since city is “Los Angeles”, it prints “Welcome to Los Angeles!” Check the output below:

The Else Statement in Python

The else statement in Python captures anything that isn’t captured by the preceding conditions. It doesn’t require a condition. The block of code following an else statement is executed if none of the conditions above it are true.

Example:

city = "Chicago"

if city == "New York":
    print("Welcome to New York!")
elif city == "Los Angeles":
    print("Welcome to Los Angeles!")
else:
    print("Welcome to", city + "!")

In this example, since the city is neither “New York” nor “Los Angeles”, the else block is executed, printing “Welcome to Chicago!”. Here is the output.

Combining If, Elif, and Else in Python

Now let’s look at a more comprehensive example:

city = "Miami"

if city == "New York":
    print("Welcome to the Empire State!")
elif city == "Los Angeles":
    print("Welcome to the City of Angels!")
elif city == "Chicago":
    print("Welcome to the Windy City!")
elif city == "Miami":
    print("Welcome to the Magic City!")
else:
    print("Welcome to", city + "!")

In this example, the variable city is assigned the value “Miami”. The program checks through the if and elif statements and finds that the city is “Miami”, so it prints “Welcome to the Magic City!”

Best Practices

When using conditional statements, remember to:

Keep your conditions simple and readable.
Always indent the code inside the if, elif, and else statements, as Python relies on indentation.
Use comments to make your code more understandable for others (and for yourself when you look at it later).

Conclusion

Conditional statements like if, elif, and else are powerful tools in Python that help in decision-making within your code? Here we discussed examples of Python if else.