What does a conditional statement do in programming?

In programming, a conditional statement is a fundamental construct that allows the execution of specific code blocks based on whether a particular condition is true or false. This functionality enables programs to make decisions and perform different actions depending on the current state or values of variables. For example, using an "if" statement, programmers can execute one block of code when a condition is satisfied (true) and another block when it is not satisfied (false). This decision-making ability is crucial for creating dynamic and responsive applications.

The purpose of a conditional statement is to control the flow of execution, allowing for more complex behaviors, such as branching logic in response to user inputs, calculated results, or any other changing data. This leads to more flexible and efficient programs that can handle varying scenarios during runtime.