Python if else statement usage with examples

"If" can be understood as metaphorical English "what if" which most people use in their day to day life. What if this doesn't happen? If this car doesn't start, use the other one. We are loaded with numerous examples from across the globe on usage of if. Decision making is one of the most basic requirement of any kind of programming language. Majority of the programming languages have control statements and you will find majority of them use the keyword if in their control statements.

In python we can use if..elif..else statement for such conditional checks. So in this tutorial we will learn about python if else statement along with their respective syntax using multiple examples.

 

What is indentation? Why is it important?

• You must be familiar with the term "indentation" before we go ahead.
• Indentation is one of Python's singular features and is used everywhere in Python.
• Python uses indentation to determine how a line, or group of lines, is related to the rest of the program.
• Basically, it uses whitespace to force you to write neatly formatted code with a clear visual structure.
• One of the advantage here is readability. It's clearer and easier to read code when it all shares the same indentation, meaning the block of code belongs to the same branch.
• If the indentation is not followed properly then you may get an "IndentationError" error.
• Unlike some of the other programming language we do not have a closing function for the if block.
• For example in perl we use {} curly braces to define the start and end of the block, in shell we use "fi" to end the block.
• So indentation is important, anything under this "if condition:" block which starts with indentation would be part of that if statement.

 

Python if statement

With python if statement we can only check for single condition only.

Syntax

The syntax to use python if statement would be:

if condition:
   statements-1

• Here we have a single conditional check and if the condition returns True then the statements-1 will be executed.
• If the condition returns False then the if block will be ignored
• True value means zero exit status while False boolean value means non-zero exit status.
• There is no way to define an end of if block, you must put all the if block statements under same indentation

For example:

if condition:
   statements-1
   statements-2
   statements-3

Here as you observe, all the statements under the if block are following the same indentation value. In this example, statements-3 will be considered outside the if block and will be executed irrespective of the if condition Return value.

if condition:
   statements-1
   statements-2
statements-3

 

Flowchart

This flowchart will give you a graphical representation of the syntax value:

 

Python Script Example

In this example we will ask user to provide any integer value. For now if you are not familiar with try and except, you can ignore that function. We have added that to make sure, user is allowed to enter only integers.

• if condition will check if the provided number is greater than 5.
• If this comparison returns True, i.e. provided number is greater than 5 then the script will enter the if block
• If the provided number is less than 5, then the condition will return False hence the if block will not be executed
• I am using print() to help you understand the content of if block, observe the indentation. All the statements in the if block are having the same indentation
• The last print statement i.e. "Now we are in main function" will be called irrespective of the condition value because it is called outside the if block

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import sys

# Only integers allowed
try:
    num = int(input("Enter any number: "))
except:
    print("Only numbers allowed")
    sys.exit(1)

# if block condition
if num > 5:
    # if block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the if block")
    print("The provided number is greater than 5")
    print("Exiting if block")

# if block ends, notice the indentation
print("Now we are in main function")

Output (if condition returns True):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number between 1-10: 6
You have entered the if block
The provided number is greater than 5
Exiting if block
Now we are in main function

Output (if condition returns False):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 4
Now we are in main function

 

Python if..else statement

As you understood correctly, this adds an else statement which means now we have an option to execute commands if the condition returns False

Syntax

The syntax to use python if..else statement would be:

if condition:
   statements-1
else:
   statements-2

• From the syntax you can understand the benefit we get with if..else statement, if the condition returns True then the if block is executed but if the condition returns False then else block will be executed instead of going to the main script
• True value means zero exit status while False boolean value means non-zero exit status.
• There is no way to define an end of if..else block, you must put all the if..else block statements under same indentation

 

Flowchart

The syntax is explained in the form of a flowchart with single if..else statement

 

Python Script Example

• We will continue to use our existing example, and we will add one additional else block
• Observe the indentation, once the if block ends, we switch back to the starting of line where the if block had started.
• Both if and else condition should start at the same point of line
• Next provide indentation of all the statements in the else block similar to if block
• Now if the provided number is greater than 5, then the if condition returns True and the if block will be called.
• But if the provided number is less than 5, then if condition returns False and the else block will be executed
• The last print statement i.e. "Now we are in main function" will be called irrespective of the condition value because it is called outside the if..else block

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import sys

# Only integers allowed
try:
    num = int(input("Enter any number: "))
except:
    print("Only numbers allowed")
    sys.exit(1)

# if block condition
if num > 5:
    # if block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the if block")
    print("The provided number is greater than 5")
    print("Exiting if block")
# else block
else:
    # else block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the else block")
    print("The provided number is less than 5")
    print("Exiting else block")

# if..else block ends, notice the indentation
print("Now we are in main function")

Output (if condition returns True):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 6
You have entered the if block
The provided number is greater than 5
Exiting if block
Now we are in main function

Output (if condition returns False):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 4
You have entered the else block
The provided number is less than 5
Exiting else block
Now we are in main function

 

Python if..elif..else statement

It is possible that we have more than 2 conditions, in such case we can use if..elif..else condition.

Syntax

The syntax to use if..elif..else statement would be:

if condition-1:
    sequence of statements-1
elif condition-n:
    sequence of statements-n
else:
    default sequence of statements

• Here, in the syntax, we are illustrating a series of branching statements under different conditions which is also called conditional branching in any language.
• First, we encounter an if block and if the condition inside the if block is satisfied or becomes True, only then will the if block be executed.
• If while executing the condition inside the if block is not satisfied i.e. returns False, then the control is handed over to the immediate condition statement, that is, elif block, where the condition would be checked differently
• Finally, we have the else block, where if all the conditions before the else condition fail, then the else block will process the code.

 

Flowchart

The syntax is explained in the form of a flowchart with single if..elif..else statement

 

Python Script Example

• We will continue to use our existing example, and we will add one elif block between if..else block
• In our elif block we add a condition to check if provided number is equal to 5. If this returns True then the elif block will be executed
• If both if and elif block returns False then the else block will be executed
• The last print statement i.e. "Now we are in main function" will be called irrespective of the condition value because it is called outside the if..elif..else block

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import sys

# Only integers allowed
try:
    num = int(input("Enter any number: "))
except:
    print("Only numbers allowed")
    sys.exit(1)

# if block condition
if num > 5:
    # if block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the if block")
    print("The provided number is greater than 5")
    print("Exiting if block")
elif num == 5:
    # elif block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the elif block")
    print("The provided number is equal to 5")
    print("Exiting elif block")
else:
    # else block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the else block")
    print("The provided number is less than 5")
    print("Exiting else block")

# if..elif..else block ends, notice the indentation
print("Now we are in main function")

Output (if condition for if block returns True):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 6
You have entered the if block
The provided number is greater than 5
Exiting if block
Now we are in main function

Output (if condition for elif block returns True):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 5
You have entered the elif block
The provided number is equal to 5
Exiting elif block
Now we are in main function

Output (if condition for both if and elif block returns False):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 4
You have entered the else block
The provided number is less than 5
Exiting else block
Now we are in main function

 

Python Nested if statement

We can add nested if..elif..else statement inside if..elif..else blocks. The existing syntax which I showed above can be used, the only important point to note is that you must use proper indentation within the blocks or else you may get indentation error

Python Script Example

• Let us use our existing example, I will add nested if..elif..else block inside the else block
• The first if condition checks if the provided number is less than 5 or else returns False
• The elif condition checks if the provided number is equal to 5, if this returns False then else block is executed
• Inside else block we had added nested if..elif..else condition
• So if num is equal to 1 then nested if block will be executed, if this returns False then nested if..elif block will be executed. lastly if both nested if..elif returns False then the nested if..elif..else block will be executed
• The last print statement i.e. "Now we are in main function" will be called irrespective of the condition value because it is called outside the if..elif..else block

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import sys

# Only integers allowed
try:
    num = int(input("Enter any number: "))
except:
    print("Only numbers allowed")
    sys.exit(1)

# if block condition
if num > 5:
    # if block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the if block")
    print("The provided number is greater than 5")
    print("Exiting if block")
elif num == 5:
    # elif block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the elif block")
    print("The provided number is equal to 5")
    print("Exiting elif block")
else:
    # else block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the else block")
    if num == 1:
        # nested if block starts, notice the indentation
        print("You have entered into nested if block")
        print("The provided number is equal to 1")
        print("Exiting nested if block")
    elif num == 2:
        # nested if..elif block starts, notice the indentation
        print("You have entered into nested if..elif block")
        print("The provided number is equal to 2")
        print("Exiting nested if..elif block")
    else:
        # nested if..elif..else block continues, notice the indentation
        print("The provided number is less than 5")
        print("Exiting nested if..elif..else block")

# if..elif..else block ends, notice the indentation
print("Now we are in main function")

Output (if condition for nested if block returns True):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 1
You have entered the else block
You have entered into nested if block
The provided number is equal to 1
Exiting nested if block
Now we are in main function

Output (if condition for nested if block returns False and nested if..elif block returns True):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 2
You have entered the else block
You have entered into nested if..elif block
The provided number is equal to 2
Exiting nested if..elif block
Now we are in main function

Output (if condition for both nested if and nested if..elif block returns False):

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 3
You have entered the else block
The provided number is less than 5
Exiting nested if..elif..else block
Now we are in main function

 

Python logical operator with if condition

In the if condition, you can define multiple conditions using python logical operators. Use logical and, or, not operator in your python scripts to define multiple condition. These operators can be used with if or elif condition

In all the syntax I shared above, replace condition with

• For and operator: condition-1 and condition-2
• For or operator: condition-1 or condition-2
• For not operator: not condition

Python Script Example-1

• In this example I will use and operator with if condition and or operator with elif condition block
• The first if condition checks if num is greater than 5 and less than 10 using and operator
• The second elif condition checks if num is equal to 4 or 5 using or operator
• The last print statement i.e. "Now we are in main function" will be called irrespective of the condition value because it is called outside the if..elif..else block

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import sys

# Only integers allowed
try:
    num = int(input("Enter any number: "))
except:
    print("Only numbers allowed")
    sys.exit(1)

# if block condition
if num > 5 and num < 10:
    # if block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the if block")
    print("The provided number is greater than 5 and less than 10")
    print("Exiting if block")
elif num == 4 or num == 5:
    # elif block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the elif block")
    print("The provided number is equal to 4 or 5")
    print("Exiting elif block")
else:
    # else block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the else block")
    print("The provided number is less than 5")
    print("Exiting else block")

# if..elif..else block ends, notice the indentation
print("Now we are in main function")

Output (if and operator from if condition returns True)

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 6
You have entered the if block
The provided number is greater than 5 and less than 10
Exiting if block
Now we are in main function

Output (if or operator from elif condition returns True)

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 4
You have entered the elif block
The provided number is equal to 4 or 5
Exiting elif block
Now we are in main function

 

Python Script Example-2

• In this example I will use the logical not operator.
• When the if condition returns True i.e. if num is not greater than 5 then if block will be executed
• If the if block returns False i.e. if num is greater than 5 then else block will be executed
• The last print statement i.e. "Now we are in main function" will be called irrespective of the condition value because it is called outside the if..else block

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import sys

# Only integers allowed
try:
    num = int(input("Enter any number: "))
except:
    print("Only numbers allowed")
    sys.exit(1)

# if block condition
if not num > 5:
    # if block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the if block")
    print("The provided number is less than 5")
    print("Exiting if block")
else:
    # else block starts, notice the indentation
    print("You have entered the else block")
    print("The provided number is greater than 5")
    print("Exiting else block")

# if..else block ends, notice the indentation
print("Now we are in main function")

Output(if not operator from if condition returns True)

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 3
You have entered the if block
The provided number is less than 5
Exiting if block
Now we are in main function

Output(if not operator from if condition returns False)

# python3 /tmp/if_else_example.py
Enter any number: 6
You have entered the else block
The provided number is greater than 5
Exiting else block
Now we are in main function

 

Conclusion

In this tutorial we learned about if..elif..else statement used in Python programming language. Along with these condition you can use string comparison operators or logical operators such as and, or, not for comparison. The respective condition block will be executed based on their exist status.

The True boolean represents zero exit status while the False boolean represents non-zero exit status. Lastly I hope this tutorial guide on python if else statement was helpful. So, let me know your suggestions and feedback using the comment section.