Conditional expressions, also known as ternary expressions, are a shorthand way of writing if…else statements in Python. The syntax for a conditional expression is:
value_if_true if condition else value_if_false
This format allows you to write a simple if…else statement on one line, instead of having to write it out with multiple lines of code.
For example, consider the following if…else statement:
if x > 0:
y = “positive”
else:
y = “non-positive”
This can be rewritten as a conditional expression:
y = “positive” if x > 0 else “non-positive”
In this case, if the condition x > 0 is true, the value “positive” is assigned to y. If the condition is false, the value “non-positive” is assigned to y.
One advantage of using conditional expressions is that they can make code more concise and easier to read. However, they should be used judiciously and not to the point where it negatively impacts readability or maintainability of the code.
Overall, conditional expressions are a useful tool in Python for simplifying if…else statements and making code more efficient.