If...Then
Control flow statement for conditional branching
Syntax
`
If expression Then [statement(s)] [Else [statement(s)]] [End If]
or
If expression Then : [statement(s)] [Else [statement(s)]] : End If
or
If expression Then
[statement(s)]
[ ElseIf expression Then ]
[statement(s)]
[ Else ]
[statement(s)]
End If
`
Remark: `EndIf` (without blank) is also supported like in QB for backward compatibility.
Description
`If...Then` is a way to make decisions.
It is a mechanism to execute code only if a condition is true, and can provide alternative code to execute based on more conditions:

- Execute code (just behind `Then`) if a condition is true.
- Execute certain code (just behind `Then`) if a condition is true and execute other (just behind `Else`) if it's false.
- Test other conditions (with `ElseIf`) if the first condition is false.

`expression` can be one of several forms:

- a conditional expression, for example:

`x = 5`

- multiple conditions separated by logical bit-wise operators, for example:

`x >= 5 And x <= 10`

- multiple conditions separated by logical short-circuit operators, for example:

`y <> 0 AndAlso x \ y = 1`
(in this case, "`x \ y = 1`" will only be evaluated if "`y <> 0`" is True)

- any numerical expression, in which case a value of zero (`0`) represents False, and a non-zero value represents True

Both multi-line and single-line `If`s can be nested. In the latter case, the optional `End If`s can be useful to control where nested `If`s begin and end.
The multi-line syntax allows several `Elseifs` (but none after a `Else`) and tests can be nested (there must be in this case as many `End Ifs` as `Ifs`).
If the condition of the `If` is not true, those of `Elseifs` blocks are tested in succession:

- If either of these is true, the corresponding code is executed, then the program skips the following blocks to continue after the `End If`.
- If none are true, the code following the `Else` (if exists) is executed alone.

In the -lang fb and -lang fblite dialects, colons (`:`) can be used instead of newlines to construct multi-line `If` blocks on a single line.
Note: The single-line syntax `If...Goto`, as shortcut for `If...Then Goto`, is deprecated and it only exists for compatibility with QB.
Example
`
'' Here is a simple "guess the number" game using if...then for a decision.
Dim As Integer num, guess
Randomize
num = Int(Rnd * 10) + 1 'Create a random number between 1 and 10...
Print "guess the number between 1 and 10 (or CTRL-C to abort)"
Do 'Start a loop
Input "Guess"; guess 'Input a number from the user
If guess > 10 OrElse guess < 1 Then 'The user's guess is out of range
Print "The number can't be greater then 10 or less than 1!"
ElseIf guess > num Then 'The user's guess is too high
Print "Too high"
ElseIf guess < num Then 'The user's guess is too low
Print "Too low"
Else 'The user guessed the right number!
Print "Correct!"
Exit Do 'Exit the loop
End If
Loop 'Go back to the start of the loop
Sleep
`
Dialect Differences

- In the -lang qb and -lang fblite dialects, variables declared inside an `If`..`Then` block have a procedure-wide scope as in QB
- In the -lang fb and -lang deprecated dialects, variables declared inside an `If`..`Then` block are visible only inside the block, and cannot be accessed outside it.
- In the -lang qb dialect, if there is a new line or a single-line comment (`'`) directly after THEN, then the IF will be multi-line. A colon, a `Rem` or any other statement will result in a single-line IF.
- In the -lang fb and -lang fblite dialects, if there is a new line, a single-line comment (`'`), a colon (`:`), or a `Rem` statement directly after THEN, then the IF will be multi-line. Any other statement will result in a single-line IF.

Differences from QB

- END IF was not supported in single-line IFs in QBASIC.

See also

- `ElseIf`
- `Do...Loop`
- `#if`
- `Select Case`