[Python-ideas] Programming recommendations (PEP 8) and boolean values

[Rob Cliffe]

On 08/08/2012 17:59, Oleg Broytman wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 09, 2012 at 02:18:53AM +1000, Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
>> What is a compelling use case for checking precisely for True or False?
>     To distinguish False and None for a tri-state variable that can have
> 3 values - "yes", "no" and "unspecified" - True, False and None in
> Python-speak.
>
> Oleg.
Other cases:
     1) I have written a function that returns True, False or a string 
error message.  (No doubt an Exception-subclass object might be better 
style.)
So sometimes I really want to test if the result "is True".
     2) Say you are writing a function to process an arbitrary object, 
e.g. a custom version of repr.  You might well choose to write
         if obj is True:
             # processing
        elif obj is False:
            # processing
        elif type(obj) is int:
             # processing
       # etc. etc.
I am sure the examples could be multiplied.
I can see no reason why we should be discouraged from writing
     if x is True:
if that is really what we mean (and need) and not just a verbose way of 
spelling "if x:".

Also I find the advice that
     if x is True:
is worse than
     if x==True:
baffling.  I have been taught that the former executes faster, and 
indeed when I test it I find it is (significantly faster).
What is the rationale?

Rob Cliffe