What is the purpose of `if __name__ == "__main__":`?

The purpose of if __name__ == "__main__": in Python is to allow a script to determine if it is being run directly or if it is being imported as a module in another script.

• When the script is run directly: The special variable __name__ is set to "__main__", and the code block under this condition will execute.
• When the script is imported as a module: The variable __name__ is set to the module's name, and the code block will not execute.

This construct is useful for organizing code, allowing you to define functions and classes that can be reused in other scripts while also providing a way to run specific code when the script is executed directly. Here's an example:

def main():
    print("This script is running directly.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

In this example, main() will only be called if the script is executed directly, not when it is imported elsewhere.