Boolean tests

[Ethan Furman]

Anders J. Munch wrote:
> Ethan Furman wrote:
> 
>>  > Even if we find out that C.__nonzero__ is called, what was it that
>>  > __nonzero__ did again?
>>
>> reinforce the impression that he is unaware of the double-underscore 
>> functions and what they do and how they work.  
> 
> 
> Only if your newsreader malfunctioned and refused to let you read the 
> rest of the paragraph.
> 
> Of course I know what __nonzero__ does.
> 
> regards, Anders

Anders, my apologies.  Since reading that post I came across some other 
replies you made and realized quite cleary that you do know what you're 
doing.

By way of explanation as to why I was confused:  the "even if we find 
out" suggested to me that you weren't aware of the calling pattern for 
"if x" (__nonzero__ if defined, otherwise __len__ if defined).  Also, in 
your sample code you defined a class C, then assigned the variable c 
using "c=get_a_C()", and get_a_C was never defined.  Then you posed the 
question, "if get_a_C might ever return None"... who knows?  You never 
said what get_a_C did; furthermore, whether or not get_a_C returns a C 
object or None is completely irrelevant to whether or not __nonzero__ is 
defined or attribute_is_nonnegative is defined.

FWIW, I completely agree with you as far as naming functions that deal 
with less consequential attributes; for an attribute that is central to 
the object, I agree with using __nonzero__.  For example:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
class Human(object):
     def __init__(self, hair, eye, skin):
         self.alive = True
         self.haircolor = hair
         self.eyecolor = eye
         self.skincolor = skin
     def __nonzero__(self):
         return self.alive
     def hair_color_is_red(self):
         return self.haircolor in ['red', 'strawberry blonde', 'auburn']
     def eye_color_is_green(self):
         return self.eyecolor in ['green', 'hazel', 'teal']
     def skin_color_is_medium(self):
         return self.skincolor in ['tanned', 'brown', 'burnished']
     def die(self):
         self.alive = False
     def talk(self):
         if self:
             print "I don't want to go in the cart!"
     def walk(self, where=''):
         if self:
             if not where:
                 print "Just taking a stroll..."
             else:
                 print "On my way to " + where

--> from human import Human
--> charles = Human('blonde', 'teal', 'sunburnt')
--> charles
--> charles = Human('blonde', 'teal', 'sunburnt')
--> if charles:
...   charles.eye_color_is_green()
...   charles.walk("away from the cart...")
...   charles.talk()
...
True
On my way to away from the cart...
I don't want to go in the cart!
--------------------------------------------------------------------

If charles is alive is rather important to the whole object -- if he's 
dead, he's not walkin' and talkin'!  ;)

~Ethan~