[Python-Dev] "and" and "or" operators in Py3.0

[Nicolas Fleury]

Raymond Hettinger wrote:
> I propose that in Py3.0, the "and" and "or" operators be simplified to
> always return a Boolean value instead of returning the last evaluated
> argument.

Please no.  I find things like:
     def __cmp__(self, other):
         return (cmp(self.a, other.a) or
                 cmp(self.b, other.b) or
                 cmp(self.c, other.c))
somehow elegant...

But I don't know how this can be useful for "and" however.

> 1) The construct can be error-prone.  When an error occurs it can be
> invisible to the person who wrote it.  I got bitten in published code
> that had survived testing and code review:
> 
>   def real(self):
>     'Return a vector with the real part of each input element'
>     # do not convert integer inputs to floats
>     return self.map(lambda z: type(z)==types.ComplexType and z.real or
> z)

As others pointed, if lambda is to be possibly removed in py3.0, it 
would be better to have an example not using it.

FWIW, I've never had a problem with that, but however I use the feature...

Quite the opposite actually, I even though about overriding and and or 
to build event-driving expression, which I can't... well, forget about 
that;)

> 2) When going back and forth between languages, it is easy to forget
> that only Python returns something other than a boolean.

Well, there's a lot of things I miss from Python when going back and 
forth between languages.  You need a better argument to convince me to 
also miss that one in Python;)

I think it's not reasonable to remove the feature without adding a ?: 
syntax.  I personally like the status quo.

Regards,
Nicolas