Hello again, coding explorers! Today we’re going to unlock one of the most powerful abilities in programming: making decisions! Just like in video games where different choices lead to different outcomes, your code can make choices too using if and if-elif statements. Let’s dive into this exciting adventure!

What Are if Statements? The Magical Forks in the Road! 🛣️

Imagine you’re playing a game where you come to a fork in the path. If the left path has monsters, you go right. If it’s raining, you wear a raincoat. In programming, we use if statements to make these kinds of decisions.

python# Basic if statement
player_health = 50

if player_health < 30:
    print("Warning! Low health!")
    print("You should find a health potion!")

print("Game continues...")

In this example, the warning message only appears when your health is below 30. If your health is 50, the code skips those lines and just continues the game!

Adding an Else: Plan B! 🔄

Sometimes you want your code to do one thing if a condition is true, and something different if it’s false:

python# if-else example
player_score = 750
winning_score = 500

if player_score > winning_score:
    print("You win! 🏆")
    print("Moving to the next level!")
else:
    print("Keep trying! You need more points.")
    print("Score needed:", winning_score - player_score, "more points")

Here, you’ll see a victory message if your score is high enough. Otherwise (else), you’ll get a message telling you how many more points you need!

if-elif: When You Have Multiple Choices! 🔀

Life isn’t always just “yes” or “no” – sometimes there are many options! That’s where elif (short for “else if”) comes in:

python# if-elif-else example
weather = "rainy"

if weather == "sunny":
    print("Grab your sunglasses! 😎")
    print("Perfect day for the beach!")
elif weather == "rainy":
    print("Take an umbrella! ☔")
    print("Good day for indoor activities.")
elif weather == "snowy":
    print("Wear a warm coat! ❄️")
    print("How about building a snowman?")
else:
    print("Check the weather forecast!")
    print("Be prepared for anything.")

The program checks each condition in order and runs the first one that’s true. In this case, since the weather is “rainy”, it will suggest taking an umbrella.

Comparing Things: The Secret Language of Conditions ⚖️

To make decisions, we need to compare values using special symbols:

• == : Equal to (Is your score equal to 100?)
• != : Not equal to (Is the password different from “password123”?)
• > : Greater than (Is your health above 50?)
• < : Less than (Is your ammunition less than 10?)
• >= : Greater than or equal to (Have you reached level 5 or higher?)
• <= : Less than or equal to (Is the timer at or below zero?)

python# Using different comparisons
age = 14
game_rating = "PG-13"

if age >= 13:
    print("You can play games rated", game_rating)
else:
    print("This game is not appropriate for your age group")
    print("Try games rated E for Everyone instead")

Combining Conditions: The Power-Up! 🔋

Sometimes you need to check multiple conditions at once. Use and when ALL conditions must be true, and or when just ONE condition needs to be true:

python# Using and/or
has_key = True
has_magic_spell = False
door_is_locked = True

if has_key or has_magic_spell:
    print("You can open the door!")
    if door_is_locked and not has_key:
        print("Using your magic spell to unlock the door...")
    elif door_is_locked and has_key:
        print("Using your key to unlock the door...")
    else:
        print("The door was unlocked! Walking through...")
else:
    print("You need either a key or a magic spell to proceed.")
    print("Keep exploring to find one!")

Nested if Statements: Decisions Within Decisions! 🎯

You can put if statements inside other if statements, creating deeper decision trees:

python# Nested if statements
player_has_sword = True
player_has_shield = False
enemy_type = "dragon"

if enemy_type == "dragon":
    print("A fierce dragon appears!")
    
    if player_has_sword:
        print("You can attack the dragon with your sword!")
        
        if player_has_shield:
            print("Your shield will protect you from the dragon's fire!")
        else:
            print("Be careful of the dragon's fire attacks!")
    else:
        print("You need a sword to fight a dragon!")
        print("Run away!")

Real-Life Examples: Let’s Make It Practical! 🌟

Example 1: Grade Calculator

python# Grade calculator
score = 85

if score >= 90:
    grade = "A"
elif score >= 80:
    grade = "B"
elif score >= 70:
    grade = "C"
elif score >= 60:
    grade = "D"
else:
    grade = "F"

print(f"Your score is {score}, which gives you a grade of {grade}")

Example 2: Game Character Selection

python# Character class selector
strength = 15
intelligence = 8
dexterity = 12

if strength > intelligence and strength > dexterity:
    character_class = "Warrior"
elif intelligence > strength and intelligence > dexterity:
    character_class = "Wizard"
elif dexterity > strength and dexterity > intelligence:
    character_class = "Archer"
else:
    character_class = "Balanced Character"

print(f"Based on your stats, you should be a {character_class}!")

Why This Matters: Decision Power! 🧠

Understanding if, elif, and else statements gives your programs the ability to:

• Make smart decisions based on conditions
• Create different paths through your code
• Respond to user input in different ways
• Create games with branching storylines
• Validate data and handle errors

These tools are essential for creating interactive programs that feel alive and responsive!

Challenge Yourself! 🚀

Try creating a simple text adventure game that uses if, elif, and else statements to:

1. Ask the player to choose a direction (north, south, east, or west)
2. Give different descriptions based on their choice
3. Add a second decision based on what they found in that direction

Remember, good programmers think through all the possible paths their code might take. What will happen in each scenario?

Happy coding, decision-makers! 🎮👩‍💻👨‍💻

If, Elif, Else

What is it? This is how Python makes decisions! It chooses what to do based on conditions.

Example:

age = 15
if age < 13:
    print("You are a kid")
elif age < 18:
    print("You are a teen")
else:
    print("You are an adult")

Challenges:

1. Check if a number is positive.
2. Check if a number is even or odd.
3. Take input of age and print if child or teen or adult.
4. Check if number is divisible by 5.
5. Compare two numbers: greater, smaller, equal.
6. Grading system based on marks.
7. Traffic light logic (red, yellow, green).
8. Rock-Paper-Scissors using input.
9. Check if character is a vowel or consonant.
10. Create a quiz question with right/wrong answer check.