Chapter 5: If Statements
BY: DR. SABEEHUDDIN HASAN
If Statements
Programming often involves examining a set of conditions and deciding which
action to take based on those conditions
Python’s if statement allows you to examine the current state of a program and
respond appropriately to that state
A Simple Example
cars = ['audi', 'bmw', 'subaru', 'toyota']
for car in cars:
if car == 'bmw':
print(car.upper())
else:
print(car.title())
If Statements
The loop in this example first checks if the current value of car is 'bmw'
If it is, the value is printed in uppercase
If the value of car is anything other than 'bmw', it’s printed in title case:
Audi
BMW
Subaru
Toyota
Conditional Tests
At the heart of every if statement is an expression that can be evaluated as
True or False and is called a conditional test
Python uses the values True and False to decide whether the code in an if
statement should be executed
If a conditional test evaluates to True, Python executes the code following the
if statement
If the test evaluates to False, Python ignores the code following the if statement
Checking for Equality
>>> car = 'bmw'
>>> car == 'bmw'
True
Conditional Tests
Checking for Equality
The first line sets the value of car to 'bmw' using a single equal sign
The next line checks whether the value of car is ‘audi' by using a double
equal sign (==)
This equality operator returns True if the values on the left and right side of
the operator match, and False if they don’t match
>>> car = 'bmw'
>>> car == ‘audi'
False
Conditional Tests
Ignoring Case When Checking for Equality
Testing for equality is case sensitive in Python
Two values with different capitalization are not considered equal:
>>> car = 'Audi'
>>> car == 'audi'
False
If case matters, this behavior is advantageous
But if case doesn’t matter, you can convert the variable’s value to lowercase before
doing the comparison
>>> car = 'Audi'
>>> car.lower() == 'audi'
True
Conditional Tests
Ignoring Case When Checking for Equality
This test will return True no matter how the value 'Audi' is formatted because the
test is now case insensitive
The lower() method doesn’t change the value that was originally stored in car
>>> car = 'Audi'
>>> car.lower() == 'audi'
True
>>> car
'Audi‘
Websites enforce certain rules for the data that users enter in a manner similar to
this
For example, a site might use a conditional test like this to ensure that every user
has a truly unique username
Conditional Tests
Checking for Inequality
When you want to determine whether two values are not equal, you can use
the inequality operator (!=)
requested_topping = 'mushrooms'
if requested_topping != 'anchovies':
print("Hold the anchovies!")
This code compares the value of requested_topping to the value 'anchovies'
If these two values do not match, Python returns True and executes the code
following the if statement
Hold the anchovies!
Conditional Tests
Numerical Comparisons
Testing numerical values is pretty straightforward
>>> age = 18
>>> age == 18
True
See the following example
answer = 17
if answer != 42:
print("That is not the correct answer. Please try again!“)
That is not the correct answer. Please try again!
You can include various mathematical comparisons in your conditional
statements as well, such as less than <, less than or equal to <=, greater than >,
and greater than or equal to >=
Conditional Tests
Checking Multiple Conditions
Sometimes you might need two conditions to be True to take an action
Using and to Check Multiple Conditions
To check whether two conditions are both True simultaneously, use the keyword and to
combine the two conditional tests
If each test passes, the overall expression evaluates to True
If either test fails or if both tests fail, the expression evaluates to False
>>> age_0 = 22
>>> age_1 = 18
>>> age_0 >= 21 and age_1 >= 21
False
>>> age_1 = 22
>>> age_0 >= 21 and age_1 >= 21
True
Conditional Tests
Checking Multiple Conditions
Using and to Check Multiple Conditions
To improve readability, you can use parentheses around the individual tests, but they are not
required
(age_0 >= 21) and (age_1 >= 21)
Using or to Check Multiple Conditions
The keyword or passes when either or both of the individual tests pass
An or expression fails only when both individual tests fail
>>> age_0, age_1 = 22, 18
>>> age_0 >= 21 or age_1 >= 21
True
>>> age_0 = 18
>>> age_0 >= 21 or age_1 >= 21
False
Conditional Tests
Checking Whether a Value Is in a List
Sometimes it’s important to check whether a list contains a certain value before
taking an action
>>> requested_toppings = ['mushrooms', 'onions', 'pineapple']
>>> 'mushrooms' in requested_toppings
True
>>> 'pepperoni' in requested_toppings
False
Conditional Tests
Checking Whether a Value Is Not in a List
It’s important to know if a value does not appear in a list
You can use the keyword not in this situation
banned_users = ['andrew', 'carolina', 'david']
user = 'marie‘
if user not in banned_users:
print(f"{user.title()}, you can post a response if you wish.")
Marie, you can post a response if you wish.
Not Operator
The not operator in Python is a logical operator that negates the truth value of a condition.
If a condition is True, not makes it False, and if it's False, not makes it True.
It's useful when you want to reverse a condition or check if something is not true.
Here are some practical examples of using the not operator:
Checking if a number is not positive
We can use not to check if a number is not positive.
number = -5
if not number > 0:
print("The number is not positive.")
Output:
The number is not positive.
Not Operator
Checking if a list is empty
You can use not to check if a list is empty. An empty list evaluates to False, and not reverses it to True.
my_list = []
if not my_list:
print("The list is empty.")
Output:
The list is empty.
Checking if a user is not logged in
If you are creating a login system, you might want to check whether the user is not logged in.
is_logged_in = False
if not is_logged_in:
print("User is not logged in. Please log in.")
Output:
User is not logged in. Please log in.
Not Operator
Negating a comparison
You can use not to reverse the result of a comparison.
x = 10
if not x == 5:
print("x is not equal to 5.")
Output:
x is not equal to 5.
One can negate other comparisons like >, >=, < and <=
Not Operator
Negating a Boolean flag
If you have a flag that represents the state of a process, you can use not to perform an action if
the flag is False.
task_completed = False
if not task_completed:
print("The task is not yet completed.")
Output:
The task is not yet completed.
Conditional Tests
Boolean Expressions
A Boolean value is either True or False, just like the value of a conditional
expression after it has been evaluated
Boolean values are often used to keep track of certain conditions, such as
whether a game is running or whether a user can edit certain content on a
website:
game_active = True
can_edit = False
Boolean values provide an efficient way to track the state of a program or a
particular condition that is important in your program
if Statements
Simple if Statements
The simplest kind of if statement has one test and one action:
if conditional_test:
do something
You can put any conditional test in the first line and just about any action in the
indented block following the test
If the conditional test evaluates to True, Python executes the code following the if
statement
age = 19
if age >= 18:
print("You are old enough to vote!")
You are old enough to vote!
if Statements
Indentation plays the same role in if statements as it did in for loops
All indented lines after an if statement will be executed if the test passes, and
the entire block of indented lines will be ignored if the test does not pass
You can have as many lines of code as you want in the block following the if
statement
age = 19
if age >= 18:
print("You are old enough to vote!")
print("Have you registered to vote yet?")
You are old enough to vote!
Have you registered to vote yet?
if Statements
if-else Statements
Often, you’ll want to take one action when a conditional test passes and a different
action in all other cases
An if-else block is similar to a simple if statement, but the else statement allows you to
define an action or set of actions that are executed when the conditional test fails
age = 17
if age >= 18:
print("You are old enough to vote!")
print("Have you registered to vote yet?")
else:
print("Sorry, you are too young to vote.")
print("Please register to vote as soon as you turn 18!")
Sorry, you are too young to vote.
Please register to vote as soon as you turn 18!
if Statements
The if-elif-else Chain
Often, you’ll need to test more than two possible situations, and to evaluate these
you can use Python’s if-elif-else syntax
Python executes only one block in an if-elif-else chain
It runs each conditional test in order, until one passes
When a test passes, the code following that test is executed and Python skips the rest
of the tests
For example, consider an amusement park that charges different rates for
different age groups:
Admission for anyone under age 4 is free.
Admission for anyone between the ages of 4 and 18 is $25.
Admission for anyone age 18 or older is $40.
For the above problem we can use if-elif-else chain
if Statements
The if-elif-else Chain
age = 12
if age < 4:
print("Your admission cost is $0.")
elif age < 18:
print("Your admission cost is $25.")
else:
print("Your admission cost is $40.")
Your admission cost is $25.
if Statements
The if-elif-else Chain
age = 12
if age < 4:
price = 0
elif age < 18:
price = 25
else:
price = 40
print(f"Your admission cost is ${price}.")
if Statements
Using Multiple elif Blocks
age = 12
if age < 4:
price = 0
elif age < 18:
price = 25
elif age < 65:
price = 40
else:
price = 20
print(f"Your admission cost is ${price}.")
if Statements
Omitting the else Block
age = 12
if age < 4:
price = 0
elif age < 18:
price = 25
elif age < 65:
price = 40
elif age >= 65:
price = 20
print(f"Your admission cost is ${price}.")
if Statements
Testing Multiple Conditions
The if-elif-else chain is powerful, but it’s only appropriate to use when you just need one
test to pass
As soon as Python finds one test that passes, it skips the rest of the tests
Sometimes it’s important to check all conditions of interest
requested_toppings = ['mushrooms', 'extra cheese']
if 'mushrooms' in requested_toppings:
print("Adding mushrooms.")
if 'pepperoni' in requested_toppings:
print("Adding pepperoni.")
if 'extra cheese' in requested_toppings:
print("Adding extra cheese.")
print("\nFinished making your pizza!")
if Statements
Testing Multiple Conditions
Adding mushrooms.
Adding extra cheese.
Finished making your pizza!
This code would not work properly if we used an if-elif-else block, because the
code would stop running after only one test passes
Using if Statements with Lists
Checking for Special Items
The following example displays a message whenever a topping is added to your
pizza, as it’s being made
requested_toppings = ['mushrooms', 'green peppers', 'extra cheese']
for requested_topping in requested_toppings:
print(f"Adding {requested_topping}.")
print("Finished making your pizza!")
Adding mushrooms.
Adding green peppers.
Adding extra cheese.
Finished making your pizza!
Using if Statements with Lists
Checking for Special Items
But what if the pizzeria runs out of green peppers?
An if statement inside the for loop can handle this situation appropriately
requested_toppings = ['mushrooms', 'green peppers', 'extra cheese']
for requested_topping in requested_toppings:
if requested_topping == 'green peppers':
print("Sorry, we are out of green peppers right now.")
else:
print(f"Adding {requested_topping}.")
print("Finished making your pizza!")
Adding mushrooms.
Sorry, we are out of green peppers right now.
Adding extra cheese.
Finished making your pizza!
Using if Statements with Lists
Checking That a List Is Not Empty
It’s useful to check whether a list is empty before running a for loop
requested_toppings = []
if requested_toppings:
for requested_topping in requested_toppings:
print(f"Adding {requested_topping}.")
print("\nFinished making your pizza!")
else:
print("Are you sure you want a plain pizza?")
Since the list is empty so the program asks the user:
Are you sure you want a plain pizza?
Using if Statements with Lists
Using Multiple Lists
available_toppings = ['mushrooms', 'olives', 'green peppers','pepperoni', 'pineapple',
'extra cheese']
requested_toppings = ['mushrooms', 'french fries', 'extra cheese']
for requested_topping in requested_toppings:
if requested_topping in available_toppings:
print(f"Adding {requested_topping}.")
else:
print(f"Sorry, we don't have {requested_topping}.")
print("\nFinished making your pizza!")
Using if Statements with Lists
Using Multiple Lists
In this code, it searches for requested_toppings in the available_toppings list and
prints if it is available else gives a Sorry message
Adding mushrooms.
Sorry, we don't have french fries.
Adding extra cheese.
Finished making your pizza!
Using if Statements with Lists
Styling Your if Statements
Use a single space around comparison operators, such as ==, >=, and <=
For example: if age < 4: is better than if age<4:
Such spacing does not affect the way Python interprets your code; it just makes
your code easier for you and others to read
