Conditional Word in Coding

• Blockchain Council
• September 09, 2024

When you start learning to code, one of the first concepts you’ll encounter is the idea of conditional statements. So what do we mean by conditional words in coding?

Conditional word in coding lets a program make decisions. Let’s understand in detail:

What is Conditional Word in Coding?

In coding, a conditional word is part of a statement that checks whether a certain condition is true or false. The most common conditional words you’ll encounter are if, else if (often shortened to elif in some languages like Python), and else. They help control the flow of a particular program. The code can execute various actions depending on the conditions provided.

Let’s say, you write a program that works according to the user’s input. If the user enters a digit greater than 20, your program might congratulate them. If they enter a digit less than 20, the program might encourage them to try again. This decision-making is possible through conditional statements.

How Conditional Statements Work

Let’s break down how these statements work with the aforementioned example/

If Statement: This is the most basic form of a conditional statement. It checks whether a specific condition is true. The specific code block inside the if statement executes when the condition is true.

number = 88

if number > 20:

    print(“Number is greater than 20!”)

• Here we can see, the program checks if the number is greater than 20. Since 88 is indeed greater than 20, the program prints the message.

Else Statement: The else statement offers a different action in case the given condition in the if statement is false.

number = 18

if number > 20:

    print(“Number is greater than 20!”)

else:

    print(“Number is not greater than 20.”)

• Here, since 18 is not greater than 20, the program prints the message inside the else block.

Else If (Elif) Statement: Sometimes, you want to check multiple conditions. That’s where elif comes into play. It allows for additional conditions to be checked if the initial if statement is false.
number = 20

if number > 20:

    print(“Number is greater than 20!”)

elif number == 20:

    print(“Number is exactly 20.”)

else:

    print(“Number is less than 20.”)

• Here, the program verifies whether the digit is greater than 20. Since it’s not, it moves to the elif statement, where it checks if the number is exactly 20. As the condition is true, the program prints the related message.

Why Conditional Words Matter

Conditional words are essential because they allow your program to react dynamically to various inputs or situations. Without them, your code would always follow the same path, regardless of what the user does or the data your program processes.

For instance, think about a maths quiz where the player must guess a number. The quiz needs to check if the player’s guess is greater than the result, lesser, or correct. By using conditional statements, the game can provide feedback and guide the player toward the correct answer.

Real-Life Examples in Different Languages

Every programming language uses conditional statements, though the syntax might differ. For example, in Python, you use if, elif, and else. In JavaScript, the structure is similar but with slight syntax variations:

if (userAge >= 18) {

    console.log(“You are eligible to vote.”);

} else if (userAge >= 16) {

    console.log(“You can apply for a driver’s license.”);

} else {

    console.log(“You are too young for these privileges.”);

}

Understanding these variations is important, especially if you’re learning multiple languages.

Tips for Using Conditionals Words in Coding

• Be Clear: Ensure that the conditions you set are clear and logical. Ambiguous conditions can lead to unexpected results.
• Test Thoroughly: You must test your conditional statements with various inputs so that they behave as expected.
• Use Else Sparingly: While else statements are useful, relying too much on them can sometimes make your code harder to read and debug. Only use else when necessary.
• Get Certified: To code like a pro, make sure to get advanced tips and tricks by experts in the field. You can enroll into industry-recommended certifications like the Certified AI Powered Coding Expert program.

Conclusion

Conditional words in coding form the backbone of decision-making in programs. They enable the program to select paths and results based on various user inputs or other conditions. Practicing these concepts more and more will let you write better code.