What is the function of an if statement?

The function of an if statement is to execute a block of code based on a specific condition. This programming construct allows the program to make decisions; it evaluates a condition that evaluates to either true or false. If the condition is true, the code within the if statement will execute, enabling dynamic behavior within the program depending on different scenarios.

For example, consider a scenario where you want to check if a user is of a certain age before granting access to a website. The if statement will evaluate the user’s age, and only if the condition (the age being greater than or equal to a specified value) is true will the block of code granting access run. This selective execution allows programmers to control the flow of the program based on varying conditions, making it a fundamental aspect of programming logic.

The other options do not accurately describe the role of an if statement. Continually executing a block of code is typically the role of a loop statement, defining a new variable pertains to variable declaration, and identifying errors falls under debugging practices rather than the conditional logic of an if statement. Thus, the correct answer is to execute a block of code based on a specific condition.