Conditional Statements and Loops in Python

EMMANUEL KWAME YENDORK

KNUST

October 13, 2024

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 Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Conditional Statements in Python

3 Loops in Python

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 Overview of Control Flow

Control flow determines the order in which statements are executed.

Essential for decision-making and repetitive tasks.
Comprises:
Conditional Statements: ‘if‘, ‘elif‘, ‘else‘.
Loops: ‘for‘, ‘while‘.

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 Importance of Conditional Statements and Loops

**Conditional Statements**: Allow programs to make decisions.

**Loops**: Enable repetitive execution of code blocks.
Fundamental for:
Data processing
Automation
Algorithm implementation

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 What Are Conditional Statements?

Allow execution of code blocks based on conditions.

Control the flow of the program.
Basic Structure:
if condition:
another condition:
else:

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 The ‘if‘ Statement

Evaluates a condition.
Executes the indented block if the condition is ‘True‘.

Syntax
if condition: Code block

Example
age = 18
if age >= 18:
print(”You are an adult.”)

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 The ‘else‘ Statement

Provides an alternative block of code.

Executes if the ‘if‘ condition is ‘False‘.

Syntax
if condition:
else:

Example
age = 16
if age >= 18:
print(”You are an adult.”)
else:
print(”You are a minor.”)

EMMANUEL KWAME YENDORK (KNUST)Conditional Statements and Loops in Python October 13, 2024 7 / 19
 The ‘elif‘ Statement

Stands for ”else if”.

Checks multiple conditions sequentially.
Executes the block for the first ‘True‘ condition.

Syntax
if condition1:
elif condition2:
else:

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 The ’Elif’ Statement

Example
score = 85
if score >= 90:
print(”Grade: A”)
elif score >= 80:
print(”Grade: B”)
elif score >= 70:
print(”Grade: C”)
else:
print(”Grade: F”)

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 Nested Conditionals

Placing conditional statements within other conditional statements.

Allows for more complex decision-making.

Example
age = 20
has license = True
if age >= 18:
if has license:
print(”You can drive.”)
else:
print(”You need a driver’s license to drive.”)
else:
print(”You are too young to drive.”)

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 Logical Operators in Conditionals

Combine multiple conditions.

**‘and‘**: True if both conditions are True.
**‘or‘**: True if at least one condition is True.
**‘not‘**: Inverts the boolean value.

Examples
Using ’and’
temperature = 30
humidity = 70
if temperature > 25 and humidity > 60:
print(”It’s hot and humid.”)

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 Logical Operators in Conditionals

Example
Using ’or’
day = ”Sunday”
if day == ”Saturday” or day == ”Sunday”:
print(”It’s the weekend!”)

Example
Using ’not’
is raining = False
if not is raining:
print(”You don’t need an umbrella today.”)

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 Best Practices for Conditionals

1 Use Descriptive Conditions: Ensure conditions are clear and

meaningful.
2 Avoid Deep Nesting: Simplify code by avoiding multiple levels of
nested conditionals.
3 Consistent Indentation: Maintain proper indentation for readability.
4 Comment Complex Logic: Use comments to explain non-obvious
conditions.
5 Use Logical Operators Wisely: Combine conditions effectively
without making them too complex.

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 What Are Loops?

Allow execution of a block of code multiple times.

Essential for repetitive tasks and iterating over data structures.
Two primary types in Python:
‘for‘ Loop
‘while‘ Loop

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 The ‘for‘ Loop

Iterates over a sequence (e.g., list, tuple, string, range).

Executes the block for each item in the sequence.

Syntax
for item in sequence:
Code block

Example
fruits = [”apple”, ”banana”, ”cherry”]
for fruit in fruits:
print(fruit)

apple
banana
cherry

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 The ‘while‘ Loop
Repeats as long as a condition is ‘True‘.
Useful when the number of iterations is not known beforehand.
Syntax
while condition:
Code block

Example
count = 0
while count < 5:
print(count)
count += 1
0
1
2
3
4
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 Loop Control Statements
Modify the behavior of loops.
**‘break‘**: Exit the loop prematurely.
**‘continue‘**: Skip the current iteration and proceed to the next.
**‘pass‘**: Do nothing; serves as a placeholder.

‘break‘ Example
for i in range(10):
if i == 5:
break
print(i)

0
1
2
3
4
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 ‘continue‘ and ‘pass‘ Statements

‘continue‘ Example
for i in range(10):
if i continue
print(i)

1
3
5
7
9
‘pass‘ Example
for i in range(5):
pass TODO: Implement later

**Explanation:** The loop runs but does nothing for each iteration.
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 THANK YOU

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