In this chapter, we studied the Python if statement. Additionally, because this was our first compound and logical statement, we reviewed Python’s general syntax rules and explored the operation of truth values and tests in more depth than we were able to previously. Along the way, we also looked at how to code multiway branching in Python, learned about the if/else expression introduced in Python 2.5, and explored some common ways that Boolean values crop up in code.

The next chapter continues our look at procedural statements by expanding on the while and for loops. There, we’ll learn about alternative ways to code loops in Python, some of which may be better than others. Before that, though, here is the usual chapter quiz.