[Tutor] Another assert() question

[Dick Moores]

At 12:51 AM 7/14/2008, Alan Gauld wrote:
>"Dick Moores" <rdm at rcblue.com> wrote
>
>>>5.10 Boolean operations
>>>....
>>>"In the context of Boolean operations, and also when expressions 
>>>are used by control flow statements, the following values are 
>>>interpreted as false: |False|, |None|, numeric zero of all types, 
>>>and empty strings and containers (including strings, tuples, 
>>>lists, dictionaries, sets and frozensets). All other values are 
>>>interpreted as true."
>
>>I'll presumptuously, brazenly go further: I have 2 quarrels with 5.10:
>>1. "interpret" is misleading. Revise, substituting "consider".
>>2. "value" is misleading. Revise, substituting "truth value".
>
>I wouldn't argue with your complaint on 'value' but it seems to me that
>interpret is exactly the ruight word fopr two reasons:
>1) The action is performed by the Python interpreter so technically
>    it is being interpreted, and
>
>2) interpretation is a more or less mechanical process. 'Consider'
>    implies some measure of intelligence. Computers are machines
>    and devoid of intelligence therefore the more mechanistic
>    'interpret' is the appropriate term.
>
>Basically it is just an arbitrary rule that the interpretation engine
>follows. Different compilers/interpreters use different rules. This
>happens to be Pythons interpretation.
>
>Alan G

Thanks, Alan G. You've calmed me down.

Dick