[Python-Dev] Equality testing

[Terry Reedy]

On 5/18/2011 2:51 PM, Ethan Furman wrote:
> In Python 3 inequality comparisons became forbidden.
>
> --> 123 < [1, 2, 3]
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
> TypeError: unorderable types: int() < list()
>
> However, equality comparisons are still allowed
>
> --> 123 == [1, 2, 3]
> False
>
> But you can't mix them (inequality wins)
>
> --> 123 <= [1, 2, 3]
> Traceback (most recent call last):
> File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
> TypeError: unorderable types: int() <= list()
>
> I realize this is probably a Py4000 change if it happens at all, but
> does this make sense? Shouldn't an attempt to compare to unlike objects
> be a TypeError, just like trying to order them is?
>
> It bit me when I tried to compare a byte string element with a single
> character byte string (of course they should have matched, but since the
> element was an int, the match was not longer True).

Questions/comments like this that are not about developing the next 
versions of Python, as you acknowledge above, really belong elsewhere, 
like on the ideas list.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy