Mastering Conditional Logic and Loops in Python

In the last post, we explored how Python handles variables, data types, and simple operations. 

You now know how to store information, do basic math, and write clear code.

But now it’s time to make your code smarter.

This article introduces two very important tools:

• Conditional logic — how to ask questions in code
• Loops — how to repeat tasks efficiently

You’ll use these again and again in real-world projects, whether you’re cleaning spreadsheets, analyzing numbers, or building apps.

What is Conditional Logic?

Conditional logic means making decisions in your code.

Imagine this in real life:

If it’s raining, you carry an umbrella.

If you’re hungry, you eat.

If your phone battery is low, you charge it.

Python uses similar “if this, then that” logic to decide what to do based on certain conditions.

The if Statement

Here’s the basic structure:

if condition:
    # Do something

Example:

temperature = 30

if temperature > 25:
    print("It's a hot day!")

This checks if the number stored in temperature is more than 25. 

If yes, it runs the print statement.

Adding else — What If the Condition Isn’t Met?

You can tell Python what to do if the condition is not true:

temperature = 20

if temperature > 25:
    print("It's a hot day!")
else:
    print("It's a cool day.")

Output:

It's a cool day.

Using elif for Multiple Checks

Sometimes, you want to test several possibilities:

score = 85

if score >= 90:
    print("Excellent!")
elif score >= 70:
    print("Good job!")
else:
    print("Keep practicing.")

Python checks from top to bottom. 

Once a condition is true, it skips the rest.

Indentation Matters

Python doesn’t use curly braces or symbols to group blocks of code. It uses indentation — that means spacing.

So make sure to indent your code under if, else, or elif, usually with 4 spaces.

if True:
    print("Correct")  # This is indented, so it's inside the if block

Logical Operators

Sometimes you want to check more than one condition.

and – Both must be true

or – At least one must be true

not – Reverses the condition

Example:

age = 18
has_id = True

if age >= 18 and has_id:
    print("Entry allowed")

Loops: Doing Things Again and Again

Now imagine you want to print the numbers from 1 to 10. You could write:

print(1)
print(2)
print(3)
...

But that’s painful and not very clever.

That’s where loops come in.

The while Loop

This repeats a block of code as long as a condition is true.

Example:

count = 1

while count <= 5:
    print(count)
    count += 1  # Adds 1 to count

This prints:

1
2
3
4
5

Once count becomes 6, the loop stops.

The for Loop

This is used to loop over a sequence (like a list or a range of numbers).

Example:

for number in range(1, 6):
    print(number)

This gives the same result:

1
2
3
4
5

range(1, 6) gives the numbers from 1 up to (but not including) 6.

Loop Control: break, continue, and pass

break

Stops the loop early.

for i in range(1, 10):
    if i == 5:
        break
    print(i)

This prints:

1
2
3
4

As soon as i is 5, the loop exits.

continue

Skips the current loop and jumps to the next round.

for i in range(1, 6):
    if i == 3:
        continue
    print(i)

Output:

1
2
4
5

It skips 3 but continues with the rest.

pass

This does nothing. It’s a placeholder.

for i in range(5):

    pass  # Placeholder if you're not ready to write the code yet

Useful when you’re planning your structure but haven’t filled it in yet.

Let’s Build a Small Project Together

Here’s a fun example using both logic and loops.

Problem: You want to ask a user to enter a password. They get 3 tries.

correct_password = "impala123"
attempt = 0
max_attempts = 3

while attempt < max_attempts:
    guess = input("Enter password: ")
    if guess == correct_password:
        print("Access granted")
        break
    else:
        print("Wrong password.")
        attempt += 1
else:
    print("Too many tries. Locked out.")

This is how you combine loops, conditions, and inputs to build something useful.

Recap

You’ve just learned how to control how your Python code behaves, and that’s a big deal. 

Here’s what you now know:

• How to write if, else, and elif statements

• How to check conditions using and, or, and not

• How to write while and for loops

• How to control loops using break, continue, and pass

What’s Coming Up Next?

Now that you know how to make decisions and repeat actions, the next step is learning how to work with multiple values at once using lists, tuples, sets, and dictionaries — Python’s built-in data containers.

These tools will let you build apps that can handle collections of data — from shopping lists to survey results.

Stay tuned for Part 4 of the series on “Working with Lists, Tuples, and Dictionaries in Python.”