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Python if...else Statement

In this article, you will learn to create decisions in a Python program using di erent forms
of if..else statement.

Table of Contents
What are if...else statement in Python?
Python if Statement Syntax
Python if Statement Flowchart
Example: Python if Statement

Python if...else Statement

Syntax of if...else
Python if..else Flowchart
Example of if...else

Python if...elif...else Statement

Syntax of if...elif...else
Flowchart of if...elif...else
Example of if...elif...else

Python Nested if statements

What are if...else statement in Python?

Decision making is required when we want to execute a code only if a certain condition is
satis ed.

The if…elif…else statement is used in Python for decision making.

Python if Statement Syntax

if test expression:
statement(s)
Here, the program evaluates the test expression and will execute statement(s) only if the text
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expression is True .
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If the text expression is False , the statement(s) is not executed.

In Python, the body of the if statement is indicated by the indentation. Body starts with an
indentation and the rst unindented line marks the end.

Python interprets non-zero values as True . None and 0 are interpreted as False .

Python if Statement Flowchart

Example: Python if Statement

script.py IPython Shell
1 # If the number is positive, we print an appropriate message
2
3 num = 3
4 if num > 0:
5 print(num, "is a positive number.")
6 print("This is always printed.")
7
8 num = -1
9 if num > 0:
10 print(num, "is a positive number.")
11 print("This is also always printed.")

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When you run the program, the output will be:

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3 is a positive number BUILT-IN FUNCTIONS 
This is always printed
This is also always printed.

In the above example, num > 0 is the test expression.

The body of if is executed only if this evaluates to True .

When variable num is equal to 3, test expression is true and body inside body of if is
executed.

If variable num is equal to -1, test expression is false and body inside body of if is skipped.

The print() statement falls outside of the if block (unindented). Hence, it is executed
regardless of the test expression.

Python if...else Statement

Syntax of if...else

if test expression:
Body of if
else:
Body of else

The if..else statement evaluates test expression and will execute body of if only when test
condition is True .

If the condition is False , body of else is executed. Indentation is used to separate the blocks.

Python if..else Flowchart

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Example of if...else
script.py IPython Shell
1 # Program checks if the number is positive or negative
2 # And displays an appropriate message
3
4 num = 3
5
6 # Try these two variations as well.
7 # num = -5
8 # num = 0
9
10 if num >= 0:
11 print("Positive or Zero")
12 else:
13 print("Negative number")

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In the above example, when num is equal to 3, the test expression is true and body of if is
executed and body of else is skipped.

If num is equal to -5, the test expression is false and body of else is executed and body of
if is skipped.

If num is equal to 0, the test expression is true and body of if is executed and body of else
is skipped.

Python if...elif...else Statement

Syntax of EXAMPLES
if...elif...else
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if test expression:
Body of if
elif test expression:
Body of elif
else:
Body of else

The elif is short for else if. It allows us to check for multiple expressions.

If the condition for if is False , it checks the condition of the next elif block and so on.

If all the conditions are False , body of else is executed.

Only one block among the several if...elif...else blocks is executed according to the
condition.

The if block can have only one else block. But it can have multiple elif blocks.

Flowchart of if...elif...else
Example of if...elif...else
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script.py IPython Shell
1 # In this program,
2 # we check if the number is positive or
3 # negative or zero and
4 # display an appropriate message
5
6 num = 3.4
7
8 # Try these two variations as well:
9 # num = 0
10 # num = -4.5
11
12 if num > 0:
13 print("Positive number")
14 elif num == 0:
15 print("Zero")
16 else:
17 print("Negative number")

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When variable num is positive, Positive number is printed.

If num is equal to 0, Zero is printed.

If num is negative, Negative number is printed

Python Nested if statements

We can have a if...elif...else statement inside another if...elif...else statement. This is
called nesting in computer programming.

Any number of these statements can be nested inside one another. Indentation is the only way
to gure out the level of nesting. This can get confusing, so must be avoided if we can.

Python Nested if Example

# In this program, we input a number

# check if the number is positive or
# negative or zero and display
# an appropriate message
# This time we use nested if

num = float(input("Enter a number: "))

if num >= 0:
if num == 0:
 print("Zero")
else:
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print("Positive number")
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else:
print("Negative number")

Output 1

Enter a number: 5
Positive number

Output 2

Enter a number: -1
Negative number

Output 3

Enter a number: 0
Zero

Check out these examples to learn more:

Check if a Number is Positive, Negative or 0

Check if a Number is Odd or Even
Check Leap Year

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