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What is Control Flow?

By default, Python executes code line by line from top to bottom. Control flow structures allow you to change this order — making your program skip certain lines, repeat others, or choose between different paths based on conditions.

A road with a fork showing two paths — one labeled True leading to one block of code and one labeled False leading to another block — representing how control flow works

Control Flow Structures in Python

Structure	Keyword(s)	Purpose
Conditional	if, elif, else	Execute code only when a condition is met
Loop (count)	for	Repeat code a fixed number of times
Loop (condition)	while	Repeat code while a condition is true
Break	break	Exit a loop early
Continue	continue	Skip the current iteration and move to the next

The if Statement

# Basic if statement score = 75 if score >= 50: print("You passed!")

The if-elif-else Statement

temperature = 35 if temperature > 40: print("It is extremely hot!") elif temperature > 30: print("It is hot.") elif temperature > 20: print("It is warm.") else: print("It is cool.")

Flowchart showing the if-elif-else decision structure with temperature checks — four diamonds for each condition with arrows leading to the correct print statement

Python uses indentation (4 spaces) to define code blocks inside control flow structures. Every line inside an if, elif, or else block must be indented consistently.

Comparison Operators

Python Comparison Operators