# simple case alternative

some_value = 5.0

# this while loop block simulates a case block

# case
while True:

    # case 1
    if some_value > 5:
        print ('Greater than five')
        break

    # case 2
    if some_value == 5:
        print ('Equal to five')
        break

    # else case 3
    print ( 'Must be less than 5')
    break

Python 3.10（2021）引入了match-case语句，该语句提供了Pythons“switch”的一流实现。例如：

def f(x):
    match x:
        case 'a':
            return 1
        case 'b':
            return 2
        case _:
            return 0   # 0 is the default case if x is not found

match-case语句比这个简单的示例强大得多。

以下原始答案写于2008年，当时还未提供匹配案例：

你可以用字典：

def f(x):
    return {
        'a': 1,
        'b': 2,
    }[x]

虽然已经有了足够的答案，但我想指出一个更简单、更强大的解决方案：

class Switch:
    def __init__(self, switches):
        self.switches = switches
        self.between = len(switches[0]) == 3

    def __call__(self, x):
        for line in self.switches:
            if self.between:
                if line[0] <= x < line[1]:
                    return line[2]
            else:
                if line[0] == x:
                    return line[1]
        return None


if __name__ == '__main__':
    between_table = [
        (1, 4, 'between 1 and 4'),
        (4, 8, 'between 4 and 8')
    ]

    switch_between = Switch(between_table)

    print('Switch Between:')
    for i in range(0, 10):
        if switch_between(i):
            print('{} is {}'.format(i, switch_between(i)))
        else:
            print('No match for {}'.format(i))


    equals_table = [
        (1, 'One'),
        (2, 'Two'),
        (4, 'Four'),
        (5, 'Five'),
        (7, 'Seven'),
        (8, 'Eight')
    ]
    print('Switch Equals:')
    switch_equals = Switch(equals_table)
    for i in range(0, 10):
        if switch_equals(i):
            print('{} is {}'.format(i, switch_equals(i)))
        else:
            print('No match for {}'.format(i))

输出：

Switch Between:
No match for 0
1 is between 1 and 4
2 is between 1 and 4
3 is between 1 and 4
4 is between 4 and 8
5 is between 4 and 8
6 is between 4 and 8
7 is between 4 and 8
No match for 8
No match for 9

Switch Equals:
No match for 0
1 is One
2 is Two
No match for 3
4 is Four
5 is Five
No match for 6
7 is Seven
8 is Eight
No match for 9

这里的大多数答案都很陈旧，尤其是那些被接受的答案，因此似乎值得更新。

首先，官方的Python常见问题解答涵盖了这一点，并为简单案例推荐elif链，为更大或更复杂的案例推荐dict。它还建议在某些情况下使用一组visit_方法（许多服务器框架使用的样式）：

def dispatch(self, value):
    method_name = 'visit_' + str(value)
    method = getattr(self, method_name)
    method()

FAQ还提到了PEP275，它是为了让官方一劳永逸地决定添加C风格切换语句而编写的。但PEP实际上被推迟到了Python 3，它只是作为一个单独的提案PEP3103被正式拒绝。答案当然是否定的，但如果你对原因或历史感兴趣的话，这两位政治公众人物可以获得更多信息。

有一件事多次出现（在PEP 275中可以看到，尽管它是作为实际推荐删除的），那就是如果你真的为处理4种情况而烦恼的是8行代码，而不是C或Bash中的6行代码，你总是可以这样写：

if x == 1: print('first')
elif x == 2: print('second')
elif x == 3: print('third')
else: print('did not place')

这并不是PEP 8所鼓励的，但它是可读的，并不是太单一。

自PEP 3103被拒绝以来的十多年里，C风格的案例陈述，甚至围棋中稍微更强大的版本，都被认为已经过时；每当有人提出python想法或-dev时，他们都会参考旧的决定。

然而，完全ML样式的模式匹配的想法每隔几年就会出现一次，特别是在Swift和Rust等语言采用它之后。问题是，如果没有代数数据类型，很难充分利用模式匹配。虽然圭多一直赞同这个想法，但没有人提出一个非常适合Python的方案。（你可以阅读我2014年的strawman作为一个例子。）这可能会随着3.7中的dataclass和一些零星的建议而改变，比如使用更强大的枚举来处理sum类型，或者使用不同类型的语句本地绑定的各种建议（如PEP3150，或者当前正在讨论的一组建议-ideas）。但到目前为止，它还没有。

偶尔也会有关于Perl 6样式匹配的建议，这基本上是从elif到regex到单分派类型切换的混合。

我最喜欢的是一个非常好的食谱。这是我见过的最接近实际switchcase语句的语句，尤其是在特性中。

class switch(object):
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.value = value
        self.fall = False

    def __iter__(self):
        """Return the match method once, then stop"""
        yield self.match
        raise StopIteration
    
    def match(self, *args):
        """Indicate whether or not to enter a case suite"""
        if self.fall or not args:
            return True
        elif self.value in args: # changed for v1.5, see below
            self.fall = True
            return True
        else:
            return False

下面是一个示例：

# The following example is pretty much the exact use-case of a dictionary,
# but is included for its simplicity. Note that you can include statements
# in each suite.
v = 'ten'
for case in switch(v):
    if case('one'):
        print 1
        break
    if case('two'):
        print 2
        break
    if case('ten'):
        print 10
        break
    if case('eleven'):
        print 11
        break
    if case(): # default, could also just omit condition or 'if True'
        print "something else!"
        # No need to break here, it'll stop anyway

# break is used here to look as much like the real thing as possible, but
# elif is generally just as good and more concise.

# Empty suites are considered syntax errors, so intentional fall-throughs
# should contain 'pass'
c = 'z'
for case in switch(c):
    if case('a'): pass # only necessary if the rest of the suite is empty
    if case('b'): pass
    # ...
    if case('y'): pass
    if case('z'):
        print "c is lowercase!"
        break
    if case('A'): pass
    # ...
    if case('Z'):
        print "c is uppercase!"
        break
    if case(): # default
        print "I dunno what c was!"

# As suggested by Pierre Quentel, you can even expand upon the
# functionality of the classic 'case' statement by matching multiple
# cases in a single shot. This greatly benefits operations such as the
# uppercase/lowercase example above:
import string
c = 'A'
for case in switch(c):
    if case(*string.lowercase): # note the * for unpacking as arguments
        print "c is lowercase!"
        break
    if case(*string.uppercase):
        print "c is uppercase!"
        break
    if case('!', '?', '.'): # normal argument passing style also applies
        print "c is a sentence terminator!"
        break
    if case(): # default
        print "I dunno what c was!"

一些评论指出，使用foo作为case而不是foo中的case的上下文管理器解决方案可能更干净，对于大型switch语句，线性而不是二次行为可能是一个不错的选择。使用for循环的答案的一部分价值是有中断和突破的能力，如果我们愿意稍微使用我们选择的关键字，我们也可以在上下文管理器中实现这一点：

class Switch:
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.value = value
        self._entered = False
        self._broken = False
        self._prev = None

    def __enter__(self):
        return self

    def __exit__(self, type, value, traceback):
        return False # Allows a traceback to occur

    def __call__(self, *values):
        if self._broken:
            return False
        
        if not self._entered:
            if values and self.value not in values:
                return False
            self._entered, self._prev = True, values
            return True
        
        if self._prev is None:
            self._prev = values
            return True
        
        if self._prev != values:
            self._broken = True
            return False
        
        if self._prev == values:
            self._prev = None
            return False
    
    @property
    def default(self):
        return self()

下面是一个示例：

# Prints 'bar' then 'baz'.
with Switch(2) as case:
    while case(0):
        print('foo')
    while case(1, 2, 3):
        print('bar')
    while case(4, 5):
        print('baz')
        break
    while case.default:
        print('default')
        break

除了字典方法（我很喜欢，BTW），您还可以使用if elif else来获得switch/case/default功能：

if x == 'a':
    # Do the thing
elif x == 'b':
    # Do the other thing
if x in 'bc':
    # Fall-through by not using elif, but now the default case includes case 'a'!
elif x in 'xyz':
    # Do yet another thing
else:
    # Do the default

当然，这与switch/case不同——你不可能像放弃break语句那样轻易地通过，但你可以进行更复杂的测试。它的格式比一系列嵌套的if更好，尽管在功能上更接近。