Python: Alternative to list of "if" conditions

Question

I am looking for a more elegant alternative of multiple "if" conditions in fewer lines of code. The majority of this conditions are quite simple, as seen in the example:

        if status == 'young':
            i = 1
        elif status == 'middle age':
            i = 3
        elif status == 'elder':
            i = 4
        elif status == 'baby':
            i = 5
        elif status == 'deceased':
            i = 6

I would like to make something like:

if status == 'young', 'mid age', 'elder'...
   i = 1, 3, 4...

Is it possible in python??

Answer 1

Use a dictionary

statuses = {'young': 1, 'middle age': 3}
i = statuses.get(status)

Answer 2

You can use a list and list.index(), in this way:

statuses = ['young', 'middle age', 'elder'...]
try:
    i = statuses.index(status)+1
except:
    print("Status not in list of statuses!")

Working:
First, a list of statuses is created. Then, to get the index of the status in the list, statuses.index(status) is used. This returns the index of status from the list statuses. Now, as lists are indexed from 0, we need to do statuses.index(status)+1.
The try-except is used as if the status is not in statuses, the index() function will raise an error.