The if-then-else Statement

Part of the Fundamentals section of Coddy's Lua journey — lesson 41 of 90.

The else block extends the basic if statement by providing an alternative action when the condition is false.

Here's the syntax for an if-then-else statement:

if condition then
    -- code to run if condition is true
else
    -- code to run if condition is false
end

When the condition evaluates to true, only the first block runs. When it's false, only the else block runs. This ensures that exactly one of the two blocks will always execute.

Here's a practical example:

local hasKey = true

if hasKey then
    print("Door opens")
else
    print("Door is locked")
end

Since hasKey is true, this will print "Door opens". If hasKey were false, it would print "Door is locked" instead.

Challenge

Easy

Create a door access system that handles both scenarios when a player approaches a locked door. Declare a boolean variable called hasKey and assign it the value false. Use an if-then-else statement to check if the player has the key. If hasKey is true, print "Door opens". If hasKey is false, print "Door is locked".

Cheat sheet

The else block provides an alternative action when the if condition is false.

Syntax for if-then-else statement:

if condition then
    -- code to run if condition is true
else
    -- code to run if condition is false
end

Example:

local hasKey = true

if hasKey then
    print("Door opens")
else
    print("Door is locked")
end

Exactly one of the two blocks will always execute - the if block when the condition is true, or the else block when it's false.

Try it yourself

-- Declare the hasKey variable
local hasKey = false

-- TODO: Write your code here to check if the player has the key and print the appropriate message