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Diploma in Higher Education Studies

Making decisions: if, elif and else

HES 211 · Introduction to Programming with Python — Week 5 of 16

CourseHES 211
Week5 of 16
SemesterII
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

Making decisions: if, elif and else

  1. Comparison operators
  2. Choosing between options

What you will be able to do

  • 2.2 Implement sequence, selection, and iteration structures.

Activity

Write a program that turns a test score into a grade.

Study materials

Further resources

  • Introduction to Python Programming, ch. 4: Decisions · PDF · OpenStax Introduction to Python Programming (2024), ch. 4: comparison operators, if-else and elif chains, pp. 85–113 · for registered students
  • Think Python, ch. 5: Conditionals and recursion · PDF · Downey, Think Python 2e (Green Tea Press), ch. 5: Boolean expressions and chained conditionals, pp. 39–50 · for registered students
  • Python Notes for Professionals, ch. 14–15: Conditionals, comparisons · PDF · GoalKicker Python Notes for Professionals, ch. 14–15: if/elif/else and comparison operators, pp. 80–90 · for registered students
  • A case against the GO TO statement (EWD 215) · Open-access article · Dijkstra (1968), Communications of the ACM (published as 'Go To Statement Considered Harmful'). Two-page classic arguing for structured if/else instead of jumps. · for registered students
Materials marked “for registered students” open in the student portal, which is set up as soon as you receive final acceptance.
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Course plan
  • Week 1: What is programming? High- and low-level languages
  • Week 2: Your first Python program
  • Week 3: Variables, data types and constants
  • Week 4: Input, output and calculations
  • Week 5: Making decisions: if, elif and else
  • Week 6: Repeating code: for loops
  • Week 7: Repeating code: while loops
  • Midterm: Midterm evaluation
  • Week 9: Functions: reusable code
  • Week 10: Lists
  • Week 11: Looping through data; tuples and dictionaries
  • Week 12: Finding and fixing errors
  • Week 13: Tracing and testing a program
  • Week 14: Mini project: a small program step by step
  • Week 15: Review and coursework completion
  • Final: Final assessment and submission
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