Match Case Statements

The match statement is a feature introduced in Python 3.10, enabling a clean and powerful way to perform pattern matching. It is similar to a switch-case statement found in other programming languages but more versatile.

The match statement evaluates the value of a variable (or expression) against multiple patterns defined in case blocks. When a match is found, the corresponding block of code is executed. If no match is found, a default case (case _) can be used.

Syntax:

match variable:
    case pattern1:
        # Code to execute if pattern1 matches
    case pattern2:
        # Code to execute if pattern2 matches
    ...
    case _:
        # Code to execute if no patterns match (default case)

Example:

x = 4 # x is the variable to match
 
match x:
    case 0:
        print("x is zero")  # This will execute if x == 0
    case 4:
        print("x is 4")     # This will execute if x == 4
    case _ if x < 10:
        print("x is less than 10")  # This will execute for x < 10
    case _:
        print("No match found")  # Default case
        
# Output: x is 4

Advantages of Match Case

• Readable Code:

  It is more readable and concise compared to multiple if-elif-else statements.

• Flexible Matching:

  It supports both value and condition-based matching, making it highly versatile.

• Default Case Handling:

  The _ wildcard provides a straightforward way to handle unmatched cases.