Default __nonzero__ impl doesn't throw a TypeError exception

[Sergey Kishchenko]

On 8 янв, 22:03, "Chris Rebert" <c... at rebertia.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 5:53 AM, Sergey Kishchenko <void... at gmail.com> wrote:
> > In Python empty container equals False in 'if' statements:
>
> > # prints "It's ok"
> > if not []:
> >    print "It's ok"
>
> > Let's create a simple Foo class:
>
> > class Foo:
> >    pass
>
> > Now I can use Foo objects in 'if' statements:
>
> > #prints "Ouch!"
> > f=Foo()
> > if f:
> >    print "Ouch!"
>
> > So, default __nonzero__ impl is to return True. I think, this
> > behaviour conflicts with 'Explicit is better than implicit' and
> > 'Practicality beats purity' statements. I think, throwing a TypeError
> > exception would be better.  It will result in more explicit code with
> > fewer errors.
>
> Python has a rich notion of boolean truth compared to other languages.
> In this case, by default, non-None objects are considered True. It's a
> reasonable default behavior since wanting to differentiate between
> None and non-None objects is such a common task.
> Also, I've been programming in Python for a long while and have yet to
> encounter any bug due to this behavior.
> Regarding the Zen, on the contrary, this is a perfect example of
> "Practicality beats purity" in action.
>
> Cheers,
> Chris
>
> --
> Follow the path of the Iguana...http://rebertia.com

I agree with you. I completely forget about differentiating between
None and non-None objects. I think, thread can be closed.