Learn Python the Hard Way: A Deceptively Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Data Science, 5th Edition

Exercise 31

Else and If

In the previous exercise, you worked out some if-statements and then tried to guess what they are and how they work. Before you learn more, I’ll explain what everything is by answering the questions you had from Study Drills. You did the Study Drills, right?

1. What do you think the if does to the code under it? An if-statement creates what is called a “branch” in the code. It’s kind of like those choose-your-own-adventure books where you are asked to turn to one page if you make one choice and another if you go a different direction. The if-statement tells your script, “If this Boolean expression is True, then run the code under it; otherwise skip it.”

2. Why does the code under the if need to be indented four spaces? A colon ...