Thanks to all for the quick responses. Python always surprises me with its shortcuts...
On 12/9/10, Alan Gauld <alan.ga...@btinternet.com> wrote: > > "Alex Hall" <mehg...@gmail.com> wrote > >> val=val or 1 > >> I am guessing that val is an int. If val==0, the 'or' kicks in and >> val=1, else the or is not needed and val=val. Am I close? > > Yes this is a combination of what is known as short circuit > evaluation of boolean expressions and a quirk of Python that > returns the actual value of something that is being treated as > a boolean. > > There is a section on this in the Functional Programming > topic in my tutor which explains and illustrates in much > more detail. > > This particular trick is now deprecated in favour of the new > conditional expressiion, so your code would now be written as: > > val = val if val else 1 > >> Can other words or symbols be used in contexts where one >> would not normally think of them? > > See my tutor, it shows how and can be used in similar ways... > > HTH, > > -- > Alan Gauld > Author of the Learn to Program web site > http://www.alan-g.me.uk/ > > > _______________________________________________ > Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org > To unsubscribe or change subscription options: > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor > -- Have a great day, Alex (msg sent from GMail website) mehg...@gmail.com; http://www.facebook.com/mehgcap _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org To unsubscribe or change subscription options: http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
