What are the differences between pattern matching and if-else in Python?

What are the differences between pattern matching and if-else in Python?

Pattern matching in Python allows for more expressive and readable code compared to traditional if-else statements. It can match complex data structures more easily.

Can you give me an example of pattern matching?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

match value:
    case 1:
        print('One')
    case 2:
        print('Two')
    case _:
        print('Something else')

How does this compare to using if-else?

Using if-else would look like this:

if value == 1:
    print('One')
elif value == 2:
    print('Two')
else:
    print('Something else')

Pattern matching is cleaner and scales better with more cases.

Are there any performance differences?

In general, pattern matching can be more efficient for complex conditions, but the difference may not be significant for simple cases. It often comes down to readability and maintainability.