How do conditional statements control program flow?

Conditional statements control program flow by allowing the program to make decisions based on specific conditions. Here's how they work:

1. Evaluation of Conditions: When a conditional statement is encountered, the program evaluates the condition (e.g., if age >= 18).

2. Branching: Based on the evaluation:

   • If the condition is true, the program executes the block of code associated with that condition.
   • If the condition is false, the program may skip that block and execute an alternative block (if provided, such as in an else statement).

3. Multiple Conditions: Using elif (or else if in other languages), you can check additional conditions, allowing for more complex decision-making.

4. Flow Control: This branching creates a flow of execution that can change based on user input, variable states, or other factors, making the program dynamic and responsive.

Example:

age = 20
if age >= 18:
    print("You are an adult.")
else:
    print("You are a minor.")

In this example, the program checks the age and prints a message based on whether the condition is true or false.

By using conditional statements, you can create programs that behave differently under various circumstances, enhancing their functionality and user interaction. If you're interested in practicing this concept, check out relevant labs on LabEx!