What are conditional statements?

 

What are conditional statements?

 

Conditional statements, also known as conditional expressions or conditional statements, are programming constructs that allow a program to make decisions and execute different sets of instructions based on certain conditions. These statements enable the program to branch its execution flow, altering the control flow based on the evaluation of one or more conditions.

 

The most common form of a conditional statement is the "if-else" statement, which evaluates a condition and executes a block of code if the condition is true, and another block of code if the condition is false. Here's a general syntax for an "if-else" statement:

if (condition) {

    // code to be executed if the condition is true

} else {

    // code to be executed if the condition is false

}

 

The "if" part checks the specified condition, and if it evaluates to true, the code within the corresponding block is executed. If the condition is false, the code within the "else" block (optional) is executed instead.

 

Here's an example in Python:

 

age = 18

 

if age >= 18:

    print("You are eligible to vote.")

else:

    print("You are not eligible to vote.")

 

In this example, if the value of the `age` variable is greater than or equal to 18, the program will print "You are eligible to vote." Otherwise, it will print "You are not eligible to vote."

 

Conditional statements can also be nested, allowing for more complex decision-making. Additionally, programming languages often provide other conditional constructs, such as "else if" or "switch" statements, to handle multiple conditions or cases.

 

Conditional statements are fundamental for controlling program behavior and enabling dynamic decision-making based on various factors or inputs.