Function: if
Section: programming/control
C-Name: ifpari
Prototype: GDEDE
Help: if(a,{seq1},{seq2}): if a is nonzero, seq1 is evaluated, otherwise seq2.
 seq1 and seq2 are optional, and if seq2 is omitted, the preceding comma can
 be omitted also.
Doc: evaluates the expression sequence \var{seq1} if $a$ is non-zero, otherwise
 the expression \var{seq2}. Of course, \var{seq1} or \var{seq2} may be empty:

 \kbd{if ($a$,\var{seq})} evaluates \var{seq} if $a$ is not equal to zero
 (you don't have to write the second comma), and does nothing otherwise,

 \kbd{if ($a$,,\var{seq})} evaluates \var{seq} if $a$ is equal to zero, and
 does nothing otherwise. You could get the same result using the \kbd{!}
 (\kbd{not}) operator: \kbd{if (!$a$,\var{seq})}.

 The value of an \kbd{if} statement is the value of the branch that gets
 evaluated: for instance
 \bprog
 x = if(n % 4 == 1, y, z);
 @eprog\noindent sets $x$ to $y$ if $n$ is $1$ modulo $4$, and to $z$
 otherwise.

 Successive 'else' blocks can be abbreviated in a single compound \kbd{if}
 as follows:
 \bprog
 if (test1, seq1,
     test2, seq2,
     ...
     testn, seqn,
     seqdefault);
 @eprog\noindent is equivalent to
 \bprog
 if (test1, seq1
          , if (test2, seq2
                     , ...
                       if (testn, seqn, seqdefault)...));
 @eprog For instance, this allows to write traditional switch / case
 constructions:
 \bprog
 if (x == 0, do0(),
     x == 1, do1(),
     x == 2, do2(),
     dodefault());
 @eprog

 \misctitle{Remark}
 The boolean operators \kbd{\&\&} and \kbd{||} are evaluated
 according to operator precedence as explained in \secref{se:operators}, but,
 contrary to other operators, the evaluation of the arguments is stopped
 as soon as the final truth value has been determined. For instance
 \bprog
 if (x != 0 && f(1/x), ...)
 @eprog
 \noindent is a perfectly safe statement.

 \misctitle{Remark} Functions such as \kbd{break} and \kbd{next} operate on
 \emph{loops}, such as \kbd{for$xxx$}, \kbd{while}, \kbd{until}. The \kbd{if}
 statement is \emph{not} a loop. (Obviously!)

Function: _void_if
C-Name: ifpari_void
Section: programming/internals
Prototype: vGDIDI
Help: internal variant of if() that does not return a value.

Function: _multi_if
C-Name: ifpari_multi
Section: programming/internals
Prototype: GE*
Help: internal variant of if() that allows more than 3 arguments.