Learn if/elif/else Expressions | Conditional Statements in Python

In our last example, you might've picked up on the fact that we didn't account for when the revenue is exactly $2000. In such a scenario, we're neither at a loss nor making a profit. So, we should tweak our code to handle such nuances.

To check a subsequent condition after your initial check, use elif. The structure goes like this:

if condition1:
    do this if condition1 is true
elif condition2:
    do this if condition1 isn't true, but condition2 is
else:
    do this if neither condition is true

The code following the final else will run only if none of the previous conditions are met.

Recall our previous example about string length. Let's adjust it. Now, we'll label a string as 'large' if it contains more than 20 characters, 'medium' if it has more than 10 (but certainly no more than 20), and 'small' for anything less.


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# Assign some medium string
test = "medium string"

# Conditional statements
if len(test) > 20:
    print("String: '", test, "' is large")
elif len(test) > 10:
    print("String: '", test, "' is medium")
else:
    print("String: '", test, "' is small")
    
# One more checking
test = "small"

# Conditional statement
if len(test) > 20:
    print("String: '", test, "' is large")
elif len(test) > 10:
    print("String: '", test, "' is medium")
else:
    print("String: '", test, "' is small")

Note

You can stack multiple elif blocks as required. However, it's good to note that overusing elif blocks isn't the most efficient way to structure your code.

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Section 3. Chapter 9

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