Traffic lights for your code
Day 61 of 149
👉 Full deep-dive with code examples
The Traffic Light Analogy
At a traffic light, you make decisions:
- Red light? → Stop
- Green light? → Go
- Yellow light? → Slow down
You decide based on what's happening.
Conditionals let your code make decisions!
The Problem They Solve
Some code needs to behave differently based on situations:
- User logged in? → Show dashboard
- User not logged in? → Show login page
- Item in stock? → Allow purchase
- Item out of stock? → Show "sold out"
Without conditionals, code would do the same thing every time.
How They Work
The basic pattern:
IF something is true:
do this
ELSE:
do that instead
It's like asking a yes/no question, then acting on the answer.
Real-World Examples
Checking age:
- If age >= 18 → "You can vote"
- Else → "Too young to vote"
Weather app:
- If temperature > 30 → "It's hot!"
- Else if temperature > 15 → "Nice weather"
- Else → "Bring a jacket"
Game logic:
- If health <= 0 → Game over
- Else → Keep playing
Multiple Conditions
Sometimes you need to check several things:
- If sunny AND weekend → Go to beach
- If raining OR cold → Stay home
You can combine conditions for more complex decisions.
Why They Matter
Conditionals make programs smart:
- Respond to user input
- Handle different situations
- Make games interactive
- Create personalized experiences
Without them, programs would be boring robots doing the same thing forever!
In One Sentence
Conditionals let your code ask "if this is true, then do that" so programs can make decisions and respond to different situations.
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