Python Match
The match statement is used to perform different actions based on different conditions.
The Python Match Statement
Instead of writing many if..else statements, you can use the match statement.
The match statement selects one of many code blocks to be executed.
Syntax
match expression:
case x:
code block
case y:
code block
case z:
code block
This is how it works:
- The
matchexpression is evaluated once. - The value of the expression is compared with the values of each
case. - If there is a match, the associated block of code is executed.
The example below uses the weekday number to print the weekday name:
Example
day = 4
match day:
case 1:
print("Monday")
case 2:
print("Tuesday")
case 3:
print("Wednesday")
case 4:
print("Thursday")
case 5:
print("Friday")
case 6:
print("Saturday")
case 7:
print("Sunday")
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Default Value
Use the underscore character _ as the last case value if you want a code block to execute when there are not other matches:
Example
day = 4
match day:
case 6:
print("Today is Saturday")
case 7:
print("Today is Sunday")
case _:
print("Looking forward to the Weekend")
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The value _ will always match, so it is important to place it as the last case to make it beahave as a default case.
Combine Values
Use the pipe character | as an or operator in the case evaluation to check for more than one value match in one case:
Example
day = 4
match day:
case 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5:
print("Today is a weekday")
case 6 | 7:
print("I love
weekends!")
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If Statements as Guards
You can add if statements in the case evaluation as an extra condition-check:
Example
month = 5
day = 4
match day:
case 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 if month == 4:
print("A weekday in April")
case 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 if month == 5:
print("A weekday in May")
case _:
print("No match")
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