if...else: What If the Condition Is False?

Let’s think it through · Start with a story

Take an umbrella if it rains; wear a hat if it does not. The girl wants the robot to know what to do in either case.

Break down the process

Follow the numbered steps, then explain them in your own words

else provides an alternative path when an if condition is false. In one if/else statement, only one branch runs.

You can picture the branches as two diverging paths. After each path handles its action, they can rejoin for the steps that follow.

If we need to handle both “pass” and “fail,” we can use else:

if (score >= 60) {
    std::cout << "Pass";
} else {
    std::cout << "Fail";
}

For a single decision:

Condition is true

Run the if branch

Condition is false

Run the else branch

Both branches do not run during the same if...else decision.

No. else means: “If the preceding if condition is not true, come here.”

If you need to test another condition, use else if.

if (a > 0) {
    if (b > 0) {
        std::cout << "A";
    } else {
        std::cout << "B";
    }
}

Here, else belongs to the inner if (b > 0).

Only one branch is selected for a single decision.

Both conditions are evaluated independently, so both code blocks might run.

int score = 75;

if (score >= 60) {
    std::cout << "Pass";
} else {
    std::cout << "Fail";
}

score = 75↓75 >= 60 → true↓Run the if branch

Next: How Do We Handle Multiple Conditions?

If it rains today, will this if/else both make you take an umbrella and wear a hat?

Have an answer? Click to see the explanation

Under the rules in this example, only the umbrella branch runs. To do both actions, you would need to write the appropriate actions separately.