Introduction

Conditional statements are fundamental in programming, allowing you to execute code based on specific conditions. Python provides several ways to handle conditions, including the traditional if, elif, and else statements, as well as the more recent match statement introduced in Python 3.10.

Python if, elif, and else Statements

The if statement evaluates a condition and executes a block of code if the condition is True. If the condition is False, the program can check additional conditions using elif (short for "else if") and execute corresponding blocks of code. If none of the conditions are met, the else block is executed.

Example:

In this example, the output will be Equal to 10 because x equals 10.

Python match Statement

Introduced in Python 3.10, the match statement allows for more readable and expressive conditional logic, especially when dealing with multiple possible values. It evaluates an expression and matches its value against one or more case patterns. If a match is found, the corresponding block of code is executed.

Syntax:

Example:

In this example, the output will be Wednesday because day equals 3.

Conclusion

Understanding how to use conditional statements effectively is crucial for controlling the flow of your Python programs. While the traditional if, elif, and else statements are versatile and widely used, the match statement introduced in Python 3.10 offers a more elegant solution for handling multiple conditions, especially when dealing with complex patterns.