[Python-Dev] == on object tests identity in 3.x - summary

[Nick Coghlan]

On 7 Jul 2014 19:22, "Andreas Maier" <andreas.r.maier at gmx.de> wrote:
>
> Thanks to all who responded.
>
> In absence of class-specific equality test methods, the default
implementations revert to use the identity (=address) of the object as a
basis for the test, in both Python 2 and Python 3.
>
> In absence of specific ordering test methods, the default implementations
revert to use the identity (=address) of the object as a basis for the
test, in Python 2. In Python 3, an exception is raised in that case.

In Python 2, it orders by type, and only then by id (which happens to be
the address in CPython).

>
> The bottom line of the discussion seems to be that this behavior is
intentional, and a lot of code depends on it.
>
> We still need to figure out how to document this. Options could be:
>
> 1. We define that the default for the value of an object is its identity.
That allows to describe the behavior of the equality test without special
casing such objects, but it does not work for ordering. Also, I have
difficulties stating what constitutes that default case, because it can
really only be explained by referring to the presence or absence of the
class-specific equality test and ordering test methods.
>
> 2. We don't say anything about the default value of an object, and
describe the behavior of the equality test and ordering test, which both
need to cover the case that the object does not have the respective test
methods.

The behaviour of Python 3's type system is fully covered by equality
defaulting to comparing by identity, and ordering comparisons having to be
defined explicitly. The docs at
https://docs.python.org/3/reference/expressions.html#not-in could likely be
clarified, but they do cover this (they just cover a lot about the builtins
at the same time).

> It seems to me that only option 2 really works.

Indeed, and that's the version already documented.

Regards,
Nick.

>
>
> Comments and further options welcome.
>
> Andy
>
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