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Python’s switch-case equivalent is the match statement, introduced in Python 3.10. Its proper name is structural pattern matching: it can compare values, inspect the shape of sequences and mappings, match class attributes, and capture parts of a value—not just choose a block from a list of constants.

Basic Python match case syntax

A match statement evaluates its subject once, then checks its case patterns from top to bottom. The first pattern that matches and whose guard (if present) is true runs; no other case block runs.

match status:
    case 400:
        message = "Bad request"
    case 401 | 403:
        message = "Not allowed"
    case 404:
        message = "Not found"
    case _:
        message = "Unknown status"

Here, 401 | 403 means either value can match. The final case _: is a wildcard fallback. If no pattern matches and there is no fallback, the statement finishes without running a case block.

The subject can be any expression. Python’s official tutorial describes the construct as superficially similar to a switch statement in C, Java, or JavaScript, but more powerful: PEP 636: Structural Pattern Matching: Tutorial.

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How patterns inspect and unpack values

A pattern can check part of a value while capturing another part. In a sequence pattern, literal elements are tested and bare names capture corresponding elements.

point = (0, 7)

match point:
    case (0, 0):
        print("origin")
    case (0, y):
        print(f"on the y-axis at {y}")
    case (x, y):
        print(f"point at {x}, {y}")

The second case checks that the first element is 0 and binds the second element to y. Sequence patterns can capture a variable-length remainder with a starred name:

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match words:
    case [first, *rest]:
        print(first, rest)

List and tuple pattern notation has the same pattern meaning. Sequence patterns do not match strings or iterators, so they are not a general way to unpack every iterable.

Match mapping keys and values

A mapping pattern specifies required keys and patterns for their values. Additional keys are allowed and ignored unless you capture them with **rest.

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match event:
    case {"kind": "click", "x": x, "y": y}:
        print(x, y)
    case _:
        print("other event")

This case matches a mapping with kind set to "click" and keys x and y; it binds the latter values to names. A class pattern can similarly inspect selected attributes, for example Point(x=0, y=y).

Captures, constants, and the wildcard

A bare name in a pattern is a capture, not a reference to an existing variable. For example, case x: matches any subject and binds it to x. To match a named constant, use a dotted name such as Color.RED; to match a literal, write the literal directly.

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  • case x: captures the subject into x.
  • case Color.RED: matches the value referred to by the dotted name.
  • case _: matches anything without binding a name.

An unguarded irrefutable pattern such as a bare capture matches everything, so it must be the last case; only one such case is allowed. In ordinary fallback code, use case _: to make the intent clear.

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Use a guard for extra conditions

A pattern is not an arbitrary Boolean expression. Add an if guard when a structural match needs an extra test. The guard runs only after the pattern matches; if it is false, Python continues to later cases.

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match point:
    case Point(x, y) if x == y:
        print("on the diagonal")
    case Point(x, y):
        print(f"at {x}, {y}")

Guard expressions may have side effects, and exceptions raised by a guard propagate rather than being treated as a failed match.

Bindings and failed matches

Names captured by a successful case remain available after the match statement, subject to the usual scope rules. Do not rely on a name being bound—or remaining unchanged—after a failed partial match: the language specification intentionally leaves bindings from partially failed matches unspecified.

Python version requirement

The match statement and structural pattern matching were introduced in Python 3.10. The official specification is PEP 634; accessible examples and a tutorial are in PEP 636. For a feature overview, see What’s New in Python 3.10.

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