# if/else

Branching with `if`-`else` is similar to other languages. Unlike many of them, the boolean condition doesn't need to be surrounded by parentheses, and each condition is followed by a block. `if`-`else` conditionals are expressions, and, all branches must return the same type.

    fn main() {
        let n = 5;

        if n < 0 {
            print!("{} is negative", n);
        } else if n > 0 {
            print!("{} is positive", n);
        } else {
            print!("{} is zero", n);
        }

        let big_n =
            if n < 10 && n > -10 {
                println!(", and is a small number, increase ten-fold");

                // This expression returns an `i32`.
                10 * n
            } else {
                println!(", and is a big number, half the number");

                // This expression must return an `i32` as well.
                n / 2
                // TODO ^ Try suppressing this expression with a semicolon.
            };
        //   ^ Don't forget to put a semicolon here! All `let` bindings need it.

        println!("{} -> {}", n, big_n);
    }