Ruby Academy · Lesson

Conditional Statements

Use if, else, elsif, and case statements to control which code executes based on conditions.

Lesson 1 of 310 steps

Conditional Statements is a free Ruby Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 1 of 3. Any 3 lessons of this learning path are free to read in full — after that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus hands-on practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Ruby Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The Ruby Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.

Conditional Statements

Conditional statements allow your Ruby programs to make decisions based on conditions.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use if, else, elsif, and case statements.

Using If and Else

The if statement executes code only if a condition is true. The else statement runs if the condition is false.

age = 18
if age >= 18
  puts 'You are an adult'
else
  puts 'You are a minor'
end

Using Elsif

The elsif statement allows multiple conditions to be checked.

score = 85
if score >= 90
  puts 'Grade: A'
elsif score >= 80
  puts 'Grade: B'
else
  puts 'Grade: C or lower'
end

Using Case Statements

The case statement is a cleaner way to handle multiple conditions.

day = 'Monday'
case day
when 'Monday'
  puts 'Start of the week'
when 'Friday'
  puts 'Weekend is near!'
else
  puts 'Another day!'
end

Using the Ternary Operator

The ternary operator is a shorthand way of writing if-else statements.

age = 20
puts age >= 18 ? 'Adult' : 'Minor'

Using Unless

The unless statement runs code only if the condition is false.

temperature = 10
unless temperature > 20
  puts 'It is cold outside!'
end

Using Logical Operators with If

Logical operators like && (and) and || (or) can be used with if statements.

age = 25
has_id = true
if age >= 18 && has_id
  puts 'You can enter!'
end

Answer it in the interactive lesson

Using Nested If Statements

Nested if statements allow you to check multiple conditions inside each other.

score = 95
if score >= 90
  if score >= 95
    puts 'Excellent!'
  else
    puts 'Great job!'
  end
end

Congratulations!

You have learned how to use conditional statements in Ruby.

Next, you will learn about loops and iterators.

Conditional Statements — illustration 10

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the “Conditional Statements” lesson free?

Yes — any 3 lessons of the Ruby Academy learning path, including “Conditional Statements”, are free to read in full here on the web. After that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus interactive practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. The Ruby Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Conditional Statements”?

Use if, else, elsif, and case statements to control which code executes based on conditions. You practise Ruby Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Ruby Academy?

No prior experience is required. Ruby Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 1 of 3.

How long does the “Conditional Statements” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Ruby Academy lesson?

Yes. Every Ruby Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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