Swazi If...Else Statements (kama, vinginevyo)

Control flow in SwaziLang is powered by intuitive if...else structures. The main keywords are:

• kama — "if"
• vinginevyo kama — "else if"
• vinginevyo — "else"

These let you run code conditionally, based on whether an expression is true or not.

---

Syntax Styles

SwaziLang supports two main block styles for control flow:

1. C-Style Blocks (Braces)

kama cond {
    chapisha "Hello world"
}

• Use {} to enclose the block.
• Can be single-line or multi-line.

2. Pythonic Style (Colon & Indentation)

kama cond :
    chapisha "Hello world"

• Use : at the end of the condition.
• Body must be on a new line, indented.

Important:

• Do NOT use single-line pythonic style:

  kama cond: chapisha "Hello world"    // ❌ Not allowed!

  Always use a new line and indentation after :.

---

Else and Else If

• vinginevyo for "else"
• vinginevyo kama for "else if"

kama x > 10 :
    chapisha "Greater than 10"
vinginevyo kama x > 5 :
    chapisha "Greater than 5"
vinginevyo :
    chapisha "5 or less"

Or using C-style:

kama x > 10 {
    chapisha "Greater than 10"
} vinginevyo kama x > 5 {
    chapisha "Greater than 5"
} vinginevyo {
    chapisha "5 or less"
}

---

Mixing Block Styles (Advanced / Not Recommended)

You can mix C-style and Pythonic blocks, but it's not recommended as it can lead to confusing code.
SwaziLang allows it, but for clarity, stick to one style per statement.

kama cond:
    chapisha "Yes"
vinginevyo {
    chapisha "No"
}

---

Single-Line Shorthand

For quick checks, you can use C-style blocks on a single line:

kama cond { chapisha "Hello world" }

• Shorthand and secure.
• Pythonic style does not support single-line shorthand.

---

The ni Keyword (Syntax Sugar)

You may see:

kama x ni cond :
    chapisha "Condition met"

• The ni keyword is currently just syntax sugar for readability.
• It does not assign or define variables yet, but may do so in future versions.

---

Practical Patterns

1. Nested If...Else

kama x > 0 :
    chapisha "Positive"
    kama x % 2 sawa 0 :
        chapisha "Even"
    vinginevyo :
        chapisha "Odd"
vinginevyo :
    chapisha "Not positive"

2. Complex Conditionals

kama a > b && c < d {
    chapisha "A is bigger and C is smaller"
}

3. Using Functions in Conditions

kazi isEven n {
    rudisha n % 2 sawa 0
}

kama isEven(8) :
    chapisha "Even"
vinginevyo :
    chapisha "Odd"

---

Common Mistakes

• Single-line pythonic style:

  kama cond: chapisha "Hello"     // ❌ Not allowed

  Use newline and indentation after :.

• Mixed block styles:
  SwaziLang allows it, but avoid for clarity.

• Confusing indentation:
  Pythonic style requires correct indentation or errors will occur.

---

Summary Table

Keyword	Meaning	Usage Example
kama	if	kama cond { ... } or kama cond : ...
vinginevyo kama	else if	vinginevyo kama cond { ... }
vinginevyo	else	vinginevyo { ... } or vinginevyo : ...
ni	readable	kama x ni cond : ...

---

Practice Challenge

Write a SwaziLang conditional that prints "Adult", "Teen", or "Child" based on age.

Solution

data age = 16

kama age >= 18 :
    chapisha "Adult"
vinginevyo kama age >= 13 :
    chapisha "Teen"
vinginevyo :
    chapisha "Child"

---

Remember:

• Use {} for C-style or : + indentation for Pythonic blocks.
• Never use single-line pythonic style.
• You can mix styles, but keep your code clear and consistent!