Conditionals (if statements)

This lesson covers writing if statements in Java, so you can branch logic based on a condition. It's for anyone searching "Java if statement syntax."

if / else if / else branches your logic. It helps to picture it as translating a human decision — "if it's raining, bring an umbrella" — into code.

The example uses if / else if / else to display one of three messages depending on the value of score. Comparisons use operators like >, <, and ==, and stacking more else ifs lets you naturally express three or more branches.

A common early mistake is losing track of which {} pairs with which condition as things get more complex. Keeping your indentation consistent matters as conditions pile up.

In real projects, the if statement is a basic building block used in nearly every app — validating input, branching logic based on state, and more.