Result of ``a is b''

[Steve]

Asun Friere wrote:

> In fact __eq__ can be redefined even /so as to be an equivalence
> relation/ such that x==y => True and x is y => False.  The
> 'fundamental properties' posisted, are simply not fundamental.

I think you have mis-read those fundamental properties. 
They were:

(1) If x and y refer to the same object, "x is y" 
yields True.

(2) If "x is y" yields True, "x==y" also yields True. 
Equivalently, if "x==y" yields False, "x is y" also 
yields False.

Property (2) assumes that __eq__ implements an 
equivalence relation.

Notice that your objection that x==y returns True and x 
is y returns False is *not* one of those properties. In 
fact, that is the normal behaviour:

 >>> a = [1, 2]
 >>> b = [1] + [2]
 >>> (a == b, a is b)
(1, 0)

I don't think the argument that one can redefine __eq__ 
to be something other than an equivalence relation is a 
particularly strong argument. I would call that a bug, 
even if it is a deliberate bug. If "==" doesn't do 
equality, then it is an exceedingly bad piece of design.

So, assuming no bugs in the code, if a is not equal to 
b then a is not the same object as b. On the other 
hand, if a is equal to b, a may or may not be the same 
object as b. And on the third hand, if a is the same 
object as b, then a and b must be equal.



-- 
Steven D'Aprano