In this section, you’ll learn how to perform calculations, make decisions, and repeat actions using Python’s core control flow tools — essential for scripting and test automation.

🎯 Learning Objectives

• ✅ Master arithmetic, comparison, and logical operators
• ✅ Understand assignment and bitwise operators
• ✅ Learn conditional statements (if, elif, else)
• ✅ Practice with loops (for, while)
• ✅ Apply operators and control flow to test automation scenarios

➕ Arithmetic Operators in Python

Arithmetic operators are used to perform basic math operations in Python. These are fundamental when writing calculations, evaluating test values, or working with counters and loops.

🧪 Examples

x = 10
y = 3

print(x + y)   # 13 → addition
print(x - y)   # 7 → subtraction
print(x * y)   # 30 → multiplication
print(x / y)   # 3.333... → division (always returns float)
print(x % y)   # 1 → remainder when 10 is divided by 3
print(x // y)  # 3 → floor division (no decimals, rounded down)
print(x ** y)  # 1000 → 10 raised to the power of 3

💡 When Are These Useful?

• +, -, *, / → Useful in general calculations, totals, and averages
• % → Often used to check even/odd (x % 2 == 0), or for cycle logic
• // → Useful when you want an integer result (e.g., pagination, row/column division)
• ** → Great for power-based formulas like squaring (x ** 2) or exponentials (2 ** 3)

🧮 Comparison Operators in Python

Comparison operators are used to compare two values. They always return a Boolean value: True or False.

These are essential when writing conditional logic — especially for validating test results, user input, or control flow in automation.

💡 Where Are These Useful?

Comparison operators are widely used in Python — especially in decision-making and testing logic.

✅ In Conditionals

age = 20

if age >= 18:
    print("Eligible to vote")

🔁 In Loops or Filtering

for num in range(10):
    if num % 2 == 0:
        print(f"{num} is even")

🔁 In Loops or Filtering

for num in range(10):
    if num % 2 == 0:
        print(f"{num} is even")

Use this pattern to filter or process items that meet a condition — such as:

• Finding even numbers
• Validating user inputs
• Iterating through test data in automation scripts

🔗 Logical Operators in Python

Logical operators are used to combine multiple conditions. They return either True or False and are commonly used in if statements, loops, and assertions.

✅ Available Logical Operators

🧪 Examples

x = 5

print(x > 0 and x < 10)  # True (both are true)
print(x < 0 or x == 5)   # True (second condition is true)
print(not x == 5)        # False (x == 5, so not True = False)

💡 When to Use Logical Operators

✅ In Conditionals with Multiple Rules

username = "admin"
password = "1234"

if username == "admin" and password == "1234":
    print("Access granted")

🔁 In Loops for Filtering

data = [5, -3, 8, 0, 2]

for number in data:
    if number > 0 and number < 10:
        print(f"{number} is a valid positive single-digit")

Use this approach to filter out values that meet multiple conditions — for example, checking that a number is both positive and less than 10.

🧪 In Test Automation

response_code = 200
response_time = 0.8

assert response_code == 200 and response_time < 1.0 Combine assertions to enforce multiple test conditions at once

Helps ensure your code meets all expected criteria in a single check

🖊️ Assignment Operators

Assignment operators are used to assign values to variables. You already know the basic = operator, but Python also supports compound assignment operators that combine arithmetic and assignment.

✅ Basic Assignment

x = 10  # Assigns 10 to x

🧮 Compound Assignment Operators

Compound assignment operators combine an arithmetic operation with assignment in a single step. They make code shorter and more readable when you’re updating the value of a variable based on its current value.

Instead of writing:

x = x + 3

You can write:

x += 3

✅ Example: Compound Assignment Operators

x = 5
x += 3  # Same as x = x + 3 → x becomes 8
x -= 1  # x = x - 1 → x becomes 7
x *= 2  # x = x * 2 → x becomes 14
x /= 2  # x = x / 2 → x becomes 7.0

• += adds to the existing value
• -= subtracts from it
• *= multiplies it
• /= divides it (always returns a float)

This works with most arithmetic operators

Practice yourself with the Google Colab examples:
👉 Colab Example

Or go to my GitHub examples repository to find the Operators & Conditions examples:
📂 Operators-Condition Examples

🖊️ Assignment and Bitwise Operators in Python

⚙️ Bitwise Operators (Intro)

Bitwise operators work on the binary representation of integers. These are mostly used in low-level programming, flags, and performance-critical applications, but understanding the basics helps deepen your knowledge of how data is handled at the bit level.

🧠 What Is a Bit?

A bit is a binary digit — either 0 or 1. Every integer in Python is stored in binary format behind the scenes.

For example:

• 5 in binary → 0101
• 3 in binary → 0011

🧮 Bitwise Operator Table

🧪 Code Examples

a = 5       # Binary: 0101
b = 3       # Binary: 0011

print(a & b)   # 1 → AND
print(a | b)   # 7 → OR
print(a ^ b)   # 6 → XOR
print(~a)      # -6 → NOT
print(a << 1)  # 10 → Shift left (adds 0 on the right)
print(a >> 1)  # 2 → Shift right (drops rightmost bit)

💼 Real-World Use Cases for Bitwise Operators

• 🔐 Permissions flags
  Used to manage combinations of access rights (e.g., read, write, execute).

• ⚡ Performance-optimized toggling
  Quickly turn on/off specific bits for feature flags, settings, or status tracking.

• 🗜️ Compression and cryptography
  Operate on binary data at a low level for space-saving and security tasks.

• 🧠 Hardware control and drivers
  Bitwise operations are essential in interacting with hardware registers or embedded systems.

🔀 Conditional Statements in Python

Conditional statements allow your program to make decisions and execute code only if a certain condition is met. They are essential for control flow, validation, automation logic, and test conditions.

✅ The if Statement

Executes a block of code if the condition is True.

temperature = 25

if temperature > 20:
    print("It's warm outside.")

🧾 The else Statement

Defines what to do when the if condition is False.

temperature = 15

if temperature > 20:
    print("It's warm outside.")
else:
    print("It's cold outside.")

🔀 The elif (else if) Statement

Checks another condition if the previous one was False.
You can use multiple elif blocks to check different conditions.

temperature = 20

if temperature > 25:
    print("It's hot.")
elif temperature > 18:
    print("It's mild.")
else:
    print("It's cold.")

🧠 How It Works

• Python checks each condition in order
• The first condition that is True gets executed
• All remaining conditions are skipped once one matches
• If none of the conditions are True, the else block runs (if present)

Practice yourself with the Google Colab examples:
👉 Colab Example

Or go to my GitHub examples repository to find the Operators & Conditions examples:
📂 Operators-Condition Examples

🔁 Practice with Loops (for, while)

Loops allow you to repeat a block of code multiple times, making your programs more efficient and dynamic. In Python, there are two main types of loops:

🔂 for Loop

Use a for loop when you want to iterate over a sequence (like a list, string, or range of numbers).

# Print numbers from 0 to 4
for i in range(5):
    print(i)

💡 Common Use Cases

• Loop through lists or strings
• Repeat tests on sets of data
• Count or collect results

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

for fruit in fruits:
    print(f"I like {fruit}")

🔁 while Loop

Use a while loop when you want to repeat code as long as a condition is true.

count = 0

while count < 3:
    print("Counting:", count)
    count += 1

💡 Common Use Cases

• Wait for a condition to become true
• Retry logic in test automation
• Input validation loops

⛓️ Loop Control Statements

You can control loop execution using:

• break → Exit the loop early
• continue → Skip to the next iteration
• pass → Do nothing (used as a placeholder)

for i in range(5):
    if i == 3:
        break  # Stop loop when i equals 3
    print(i)

🧪 Apply Operators and Control Flow to Test Automation

In test automation, Python’s operators and control flow tools (if, else, loops, etc.) help you build smart, flexible scripts that respond to real test conditions.

✅ 1. Using Comparison and Logical Operators

Use these to check actual results against expected values:

expected_status = "Success"
actual_status = "Success"
response_time = 0.9

# Validate both response status and performance
if actual_status == expected_status and response_time < 1.0:
    print("Test passed ✅")
else:
    print("Test failed ❌")

🔁 Using Loops to Test Multiple Inputs

Automate tests for multiple data points using for loops:

inputs = [5, -1, 0, 10]

for value in inputs:
    if value > 0:
        print(f"{value} is a valid positive number")
    else:
        print(f"{value} is invalid")

🔄 Retry Logic with while Loops

Use while loops for retrying failed conditions, such as waiting for a page to load or a condition to become true.

attempts = 0
max_attempts = 3
success = False

while attempts < max_attempts and not success:
    print(f"Attempt {attempts + 1}")
    # Simulate a check
    response = "fail" if attempts < 2 else "pass"
    if response == "pass":
        success = True
        print("Test passed ✅")
    else:
        attempts += 1

💡 Why It Matters

• Automate decision making (pass/fail logic)
• Handle dynamic test conditions
• Build data-driven tests
• Add flexibility and robustness to test scripts

Practice yourself with the Google Colab examples:
👉 Colab Example

Or go to my GitHub examples repository to find the Operators & Conditions examples:
📂 Operators-Condition Examples