Operator Precedence/Boolean Logic

[Elizabeth Weiss]

On Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 3:15:02 AM UTC-4, Jussi Piitulainen wrote:
> Christian Gollwitzer writes:
> 
> > Am 22.06.16 um 05:40 schrieb Elizabeth Weiss:
> >> I am a little confused as to how this is False:
> >>
> >> False==(False or True)
> >>
> >> I would think it is True because False==False is true.
> >>
> >> I think the parenthesis are confusing me.
> >
> > Are you thinking, by any chance, that "or" indicates a choice?
> > Comparing False to either False "or" True? That is not the case.
> >
> > "or" is an operator. "False or True" is *computed* and gives True,
> > which is then compared to False by "==". Python works in these steps:
> >
> > 1) False ==  (False or True)
> > 2) False ==  (True)
> > 3) False
> 
> Similarly:
> 
> 1) "coffee" == ("coffee" or "tea")
> 2) "coffee" == "coffee"
> 3) True
> 
> 1) "tea" == ("coffee" or "tea")
> 2) "tea" == "coffee"
> 3) False
> 
> In programming languages that allow it, want("coffee" or "tea") is
> probably not intended. One has to (want("coffee") or want("tea")).
> 
> I'm not trying to confuse. I'm trying to further illustrate how the
> programming language notation differs from ordinary structures of
> languages like English that may seem analogous until one learns that
> they aren't, quite.

Thanks, Jussi! Very helpful.