" : " what it can do and why

Hi Andy,

With me looking at your JS points, I think you know a bit JavaScript.

I'm assuming you know what a block is in JS. Quick overview, in case you forgot: a block is a piece of code inside of {}. For example, with a if clause, the block is only run if the condition is true.

In Python, you don't use {} to make a block. You use a colon.

Example in JS:

if (1 > 2) {
    alert("This won't be printed because 1 is never greater then 2");
}

Same example in Python:

if 1 > 2:
    print("This won't be printed because 1 is never greater then 2")

Since JS uses braces, you don't need to indent. To mark the end of the block, you use the closing curly brace }

if (1 > 2) {
alert("Look, no indentation!");
}

You can even do this in JS:

if (1 > 2) { alert("All on one line!"); }

You are allowed to do this because you can start the block with { and end the block with }. In Python, however, you don't use { to mark the beginning of the block and } to mark the end of the block.

To mark the beginning of the block, you use :, AKA a colon. There are no symbol to mark the end of the block.

To represent code in a block, you have to use indentation, or spacing. If you write this:

if 1 > 2:
print("Hi")

Python will cause an error because it thinks that there are no block for the condition and the printing part is outside of the block.

If you fix it:

if 1 > 2:
    print("Hi")

Python will understand that the printing is in the if condition's block.

I hope this makes sense.

If you have any more questions, please ask below.

Happy C0D1NG!

~Alex