Class 11:Python Indentation

Python Indentation

Most of the programming languages like C, C++, Java use braces { } to define a block of code. Python uses indentation.

A code block (body of a function, loop etc.) starts with indentation and ends with the first unindented line. The amount of indentation is up to you, but it must be consistent throughout that block.

Generally, four whitespaces are used for indentation and is preferred over tabs. Here is an example.

for i in range(1,11):
    print(i)
    if i == 5:
        break

Output:

1
2
3
4

The enforcement of indentation in Python makes the code look neat and clean. This results into Python programs that look similar and consistent.

Indentation can be ignored in line continuation. But it’s a good idea to always indent. It makes the code more readable. For example:

if True:
    print(‘Hello’)
    a = 5

and

if True: print(‘Hello’); a = 5

both are valid and do the same thing. But the former style is clearer.

if True:
    print('Hello')
    a = 5

#Can be written as

if True: print('Hello'); a = 5

both are valid and do the same thing. But the former style is clearer.

Incorrect indentation will result into IndentationError.