On Tue, 03 Jul 2012 02:55:48 +1000, Chris Angelico wrote: > On Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 1:16 AM, Rick Johnson > <rantingrickjohn...@gmail.com> wrote: >> py> 1 + 3 * 4 >> should ALWAYS equal 16! >> >> With parenthesis only used for grouping: py> a + (b*c) + d >> >> Which seems like the most consistent approach to me. > > Oh yes, absolutely consistent. Consistency. It's a CR 1/2 monster found > on page 153 of the 3.5th Edition Monster Manual.
GvR is fond of quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Perhaps the world would be better off if mathematicians threw out the existing precedence rules and replaced them with a strict left-to-right precedence. (Personally, I doubt it.) But until they do, consistency with mathematics is far more important than the foolish consistency of left-to-right precedence. -- Steven -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
