A curious bit of code...

[Roy Smith]

In article <mailman.6914.1392380171.18130.python-list at python.org>,
 Dave Angel <davea at davea.name> wrote:

>  Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> Wrote in message:
> > On 2/13/2014 1:37 PM, forman.simon at gmail.com wrote:
> >> I ran across this and I thought there must be a better way of doing it, 
> >> but then after further consideration I wasn't so sure.
> >>
> >>    if key[:1] + key[-1:] == '<>': ...
> > 
> > if key[:1] == '<' and key[-1:] == '>: ...
> > is the obvious choice to me. If the first clause is false, it never 
> > computes the second.
> >
> And therefore no need for the second colon.
> 
> if key[:1] == '<' and key[-1] == '>: ...

I'd leave the second colon in.  It makes the statement more uniform, and 
therefor easier to understand.