Indentation in Python

  • Indentation has no effect on program logic—it is simply used to align program lines to aid readability. In Python, however, indentation is used to associate and group statements.
  • A header in Python is a specific keyword followed by a colon.
  • The set of statements following a header in Python is called a suite (commonly called a block).
  • The statements of a given suite must all be indented the same amount.
  • A header and its associated suite are together referred to as a clause.
  • A compound statement in Python may consist of one or more clauses. While four spaces are commonly used for each level of indentation, any number of spaces may be used.
  • In (a), both suites maintain the same level of indentation.
  • In (b), each suite has varying levels of indentation. This is syntactically correct, although it’s not recommended practice. The key point is that the indentation within each suite remains consistent.
  • In (c), the if and else headers of the if statement aren’t indented at the same level.
  • In (d), the headers have the same indentation, but the statements within the second suite lack proper alignment.
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