[Python-Dev] conditional expressions?

[Paul Prescod]

Tim Peters wrote:
> 
> ...
> 
> I was its only fan within PythonLabs, and I was lukewarm.  The trick is to
> view "if c else" as a new short-circuiting infix binary operator (for each
> c), and then it makes great-- even elegant --sense.  But it's apparently a
> major strain to see it that way.  It had at least one sworn mortal enemy,
> and I think Fred Drake was so upset at the idea that he couldn't speak.

It actually read more easily to me the first time. As I said on
python-list:

unit is meters if metric, else feet

versus

unit is, if metric, meters, else feet

At first I didn't like that it split the two options but I think that
that actually helps you to keep clear in your head what the "default" is
and what the "alternative" is.

 Paul Prescod