What is the primary use of if/else statements in programming?

If/else statements are fundamental control structures in programming that allow a program to make decisions based on specific conditions. The primary purpose is to execute different code blocks based on whether a certain condition evaluates to true or false. This mechanism enables programmers to control the flow of execution within a program, allowing it to respond dynamically to different inputs or situations.

For instance, if a user provides a certain input, the program can take one action if the input meets specific criteria (true condition), and a different action if it does not meet those criteria (false condition). This logic is essential in situations such as validating user input, handling exceptions, or defining application behavior based on varying requirements.

Other options do not align with the main functionality of if/else statements. Data storage and retrieval pertains to how data is saved and accessed rather than decision-making logic. Switching between programming languages involves translation or compilation processes, which is unrelated to conditional execution. Merging multiple datasets is a data handling task that requires different logic and functionality than what if/else statements provide.