question about True values

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, 28 Oct 2006 03:13:42 +0100, Steve Holden wrote:


>> Python is not evaluating the truth of the matter, but, as Ms. Creighton 
>> would say, the "somethingness" of that which 10 > 5 evaluates to.  (1 
>> aka True)
>> 
>   >>> type(10>5)
> <type 'bool'>
>   >>>
> 
> It does seem that there is a specific type associated with the result of 
> a comparison, even though you would really like to to be "a number with 
> a hat on".

Python bools really are subclassed from ints:

>>> issubclass(bool, int)
True

They are ints wearing a Boolean hat. This was a controversial compromise.


>>  >>> (1 > 0) < 1
>> False
>>  >>> 1 > 0 < 1
>> True
>>  >>> 1 > (0 < 1)
>> False
>>  >>> 10 > (0 < 1)
>> True
>> 
> I have no idea what you think that you are demonstrating here.

Run through the expressions by hand:

(1 > 0) < 1
True < 1
False

The mere fact that you can compare bools with ints demonstrates that
Python bools aren't "real" Booleans.

 
>> Finally, while True/False is a good mental mapping for numeric 
>> comparisons, take the following:
>> 
>>  >>> if "Cliff is a pillar of the open source community":
>> ....	print "thank you"
>> .... else:
>> ....	print "bugger off"
>> 
>> bugger off
>> 
>> Clearly this is not true.  (Google Cliff/Dyer open source: only 11 
>> hits.), but the string is *something* so the if block gets evaluated.
>> 
>   >>> if "The above example was bollocks":
>   ...   print "You don't know what you are talking about"
>   ... else:
>   ...   print "Sorry: of course you are perfectly correct"
>   ...
> You don't know what you are talking about

Cliff is making a point about semantics, and he's absolutely correct about
it, although it is irrelevant since we're talking about two-value logic
not semantics.




-- 
Steven.