Statement

Programming is about telling a computer what to do. At its heart, this means giving instructions. These instructions are called statements. Every time you write a line of code that directs the computer to take some action, you’re writing a statement.

Let’s break down what statements are, why they matter, and how you use them.

What Is a Statement?

A statement is a single step in a program that performs an action. Think of it like a sentence in English. Just as sentences tell us something or ask us to do something, statements tell the computer to do something.

For example, in Python: print("Hello, world!")

That’s a statement that tells the computer to print the text “Hello, world!” on the screen.

Statements can perform many different tasks, like assigning values to variables, making decisions, repeating actions, or calling functions.

Types of Statements

Let’s talk about some of the most common types of statements you’ll encounter.

1. Assignment Statements

An assignment statement sets or updates the value of a variable.

x = 5

Here, we’re telling the computer to take the value 5 and store it in the variable x.

Assignment statements are crucial because they let us keep track of data and manipulate it later.

2. Expression Statements

An expression statement is simply an expression that is evaluated, and any side effects (like printing something) happen as a result.

print("Hello, world!")

This statement evaluates the expression print(“Hello, world!”) and prints the output.

3. Conditional Statements

Conditional statements help the computer decide between different actions. The most common one is the if statement.

if x > 10:
    print("x is greater than 10")

This tells the computer to print something only if x is greater than 10.

You can also use else and elif to handle other cases.

if x > 10:
    print("x is greater than 10")
elif x == 10:
    print("x is equal to 10")
else:
    print("x is less than 10")

This helps your program react to different situations.

4. Looping Statements

Loops let the computer repeat actions. This is useful when you want to do the same thing many times.

A for loop repeats an action for each item in a sequence:

for i in range(5):
    print(i)

This prints the numbers from 0 to 4.

A while loop keeps repeating as long as a condition is true:

while x > 0:
    print(x)
    x -= 1

This prints x and then subtracts one from it each time, until x is no longer greater than 0.

5. Function Call Statements

A function call statement tells the computer to execute a function.

my_function()

This calls the function named my_function. Functions let you organize your code and avoid repeating yourself.

Why Statements Matter

Statements are the backbone of your programs. Without them, your program wouldn’t do anything. Each statement tells the computer to take a specific step—whether that’s storing data, making a decision, or repeating an action.

Understanding how to use statements effectively helps you build programs that work reliably and do what you intend.

Best Practices for Writing Statements

Here are a few tips to make your statements clear and effective:

Be concise. Write only what’s needed to make your code work.

Be readable. Use meaningful variable names and clear logic so others can understand your code.

Avoid complexity. If a statement is too complex, break it into smaller statements.

Use comments when necessary. Explain why something is done, not just what it does.

Putting It All Together

Imagine you want to write a program that checks if a user is old enough to vote. Here’s how you might use statements:

age = int(input("Enter your age: "))  # Assignment and input
if age >= 18:  # Conditional statement
    print("You are eligible to vote.")
else:
    print("You are not eligible to vote.")

Each line is a statement that guides the computer: get the user’s input, check the condition, and print the appropriate message.

Conclusion

Statements are the building blocks of any program. They give your code structure and meaning. Whether you’re assigning a value, making a decision, or looping through data, statements let you control what happens—and when. Mastering statements is the first step toward writing powerful and effective programs.

So the next time you sit down to code, pay attention to the statements you’re writing. They’re your way of talking to the computer—and making it do what you want.