What is a conditional statement in JavaScript?

What is a Conditional Statement in JavaScript?

In JavaScript, a conditional statement is a programming construct that allows you to execute different blocks of code based on a specific condition or set of conditions. Conditional statements enable your program to make decisions and take different actions depending on the evaluation of a given expression.

The most common conditional statements in JavaScript are:

1. if-else Statement: The if-else statement is used to execute a block of code if a certain condition is true, and an optional block of code if the condition is false.

if (condition) {
  // code block to be executed if the condition is true
} else {
  // code block to be executed if the condition is false
}

2. switch Statement: The switch statement is used to perform different actions based on different conditions. It evaluates an expression and executes the associated block of code (case) that matches the value of the expression.

switch (expression) {
  case value1:
    // code block
    break;
  case value2:
    // code block
    break;
  ...
  default:
    // code block
}

3. Ternary Operator: The ternary operator, also known as the conditional (or Elvis) operator, is a shorthand way of writing an if-else statement. It takes three operands: a condition, an expression to be evaluated if the condition is true, and an expression to be evaluated if the condition is false.

condition ? expressionIfTrue : expressionIfFalse

Here's a simple example to illustrate the concept of conditional statements:

let age = 18;

if (age >= 18) {
  console.log("You are an adult.");
} else {
  console.log("You are a minor.");
}

In this example, the if-else statement checks the value of the age variable. If the age is greater than or equal to 18, the program will log "You are an adult." to the console. Otherwise, it will log "You are a minor."

To further explain the core concepts of conditional statements, here's a Mermaid diagram:

This diagram illustrates the flow of a basic if-else statement. The program starts, evaluates the condition, and then executes the corresponding code block based on the result of the condition.

Conditional statements are essential in JavaScript, as they allow your program to make decisions and adapt its behavior based on different scenarios. They are fundamental to creating dynamic and interactive applications.