for-else structure?The for-else structure is a unique combination that allows you to run a loop (the for part) and then execute a block of code (the else part) if the loop completes normally, without being interrupted by a break statement.
for part: This is just like any other for loop, where you iterate over a sequence (like a list, tuple, or string) or any other iterable object.else part: This block of code executes only if the for loop completed all its iterations without encountering a break statement. If a break is hit, the else block is skipped.Let's say you have a list of names, and you're looking for a specific name. If you find the name, you want to print a message. If you don't find the name after checking the whole list, you want to print a different message.
names = ["Alice", "Bob", "Charlie", "Diana"]
search_name = "Charlie"
for name in names:
if name == search_name:
print(f"{search_name} found!")
break
else:
# This part runs if the name was not found
print(f"{search_name} not found in the list.")In this example, if search_name is in the names list, it prints that the name was found and exits the loop with break, skipping the else block. If the loop completes without finding the name, it then runs the else block.
Let's use the for-else structure to check if a number is prime. A prime number is a number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself.
def is_prime(number):
if number <= 1:
return False
for i in range(2, int(number**0.5) + 1):
if number % i == 0:
print(f"{number} is not a prime number.")
break
else:
# This part runs if the number has no divisors other than 1 and itself
print(f"{number} is a prime number.")
is_prime(11) # This should print that 11 is a prime number.
is_prime(10) # This should print that 10 is not a prime number.In this prime number checker, the for loop checks for divisors of the given number. If it finds a divisor, it prints that the number is not prime and breaks out of the loop. If the loop completes without finding any divisors (other than 1 and the number itself), the else block runs, indicating the number is prime.
for-else structure?It is particularly useful in search operations and conditions where completing a loop without interruptions is a significant condition.
The for-else structure can make your code cleaner and more readable by eliminating the need for additional flags or checks outside the loop to determine if the loop completed normally.