Two question from a newbie

[Tim Ottinger]

On Sun, 13 Feb 2000 00:45:59 +1100, "Jason Stokes"
<jstok at bluedog.apana.org.au> wrote:
>>> if ( x.mode == "view" or x.mode == "modify):
[...]
>>if x.mode in ("view", "modify"):
>
>
>I don't see that this idiom has that much to recommend it.  Mr Drake's
>version is clear in that we're comparing x.mode with two modes -- "view" and
>"modify".  Your version attempts to *find* x.mode in the tuple ("view",
>"modify") and executes the sub-bock if successful.  The intention of the
>first example is immediately apparent.  The intention of the second is not
>so immediate, so it must lose out if you want to write maximally
>comprehendable code.


To each his own, I guess. 

I found that the intent of the first one was only more comprehensible
to a programmer skilled in C-like languages.

The second is more explicit, and doesn't have any doubled symbols. 
It's more English-like. 

I don't know how they compare in performance, but my son can read the
second, whereas he's intimidated by the first. He's in 3rd grade, and
never programmed before.

Tim