Every Way To Use ‘Else’ in Python

Other than the classic if-else block, we can use the else keyword in 3 other ways in Python — for-else, while-else & try-else

1) If Else — the classic

fruit = 'orange'

if fruit == 'apple':
  print('apple juice')
else:
  print('not apple')

• stuff inside the if block runs if the condition evaluates to True
• stuff inside the else block runs if the condition evaluates to False

2) For Else

for i in range(5):
  # do stuff
else:
  print('this runs if break DOES NOT happens in above for loop')

In a for-else block, stuff in the else block runs only if the break statement DOES NOT run inside the for loop.

for i in range(5):
  print(i)
  if i == 2:
    break
else:
  print('else block runs')  

# 0 1 2

^ here, range(5) generates 0 1 2 3 4, and break happens when i==2.

Since break happens inside the for loop, the else block does not run.

for i in range(5):
  print(i)
  if i == 100:
    break
else:
  print('else block runs')

# 0 1 2 3 4
# else block runs

^ here, i==100 does not happen, and break does not run.

Since break does not run, else block runs.

3) While Else

while condition:
    # do stuff
else:
    print('else block runs if break DOES NOT run in while loop')

This functions the same way as the for-else block.

• If break happens, else does not happen
• If break does not happen, else happens

4) Try Else

try:
    # stuff
except Exception as e:
    print(e)
else:
    print('else block runs if except block DOES NOT run')

• if except happens, else does not happen
• if except does not happen, else happens

try:
  x = 1/0
except Exception as e:
  print('except block runs ->', e)
else:
  print('else block runs')

# except block runs -> division by zero

^ here, 1/0 forces the ZeroDivisionError, which forces the except block to run. As the except block runs, the else block does not run.

try:
  x = 1/1
except Exception as e:
  print('except block runs ->', e)
else:
  print('else block runs')

# else block runs

^ here, 1/1 does not cause an Exception. The except block does not run, so the else block runs.

Conclusion

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