Ivan Pozdeev via Python-ideas writes: > The `assert' statment was created the same as in previous languages like > C/C++: a check to only do in debug mode, when you can't yet trust your > code to manage and pass around internal data correctly. Examples are > array bounds and object state integrity constraints.
I use assert in Python as I use it in C: as a statement that something should NEVER happen, algorithmically. I do occasionally have expensive assertions in inner loops, and do use -O to disable them when I assess that speed is important enough to offset the increased risk. So, -1. Oh, yeah: I have had programs stop because I got the algorithm wrong, and because I implemented it incorrectly. I understand the point made elsewhere about scientists' thinking about "assert", but as a scientist myself, I disagree. It is very useful to me to distinguish between validating data and validating algorithms. "assert" is how we do the latter. _______________________________________________ Python-ideas mailing list Python-ideas@python.org https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-ideas Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/
