syntax question: "<>" and "!=" operators

[G. Sumner Hayes]

In article <mailman.1016398831.924.python-list at python.org>, Mike Dean wrote:
> One thing that's always baffled me on this issue (along these lines) -
> why does Python have != as a not-equal operator, when ! is not the not
> operator?

Even in C, I never thought of != as being the not operator applied to
the assignment operator.  I thought of it as an ASCII art approximation
of the "real" not equal symbol (= with a line running through it).

! is the closest thing to a vertical line on older keyboards (/= and |=
are already assignment operators), and represents the vertical stroke
through the equal sign.  Like the accent marks in TeX and similar.

Just my $.02,

  Sumner

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