Re: code review

References	(5 earlier) <mailman.1651.1341052165.4697.python-list@python.org> <2662370.TGmo96CKe1@PointedEars.de> <mailman.1658.1341085147.4697.python-list@python.org> <VlJHr.500117$jl.112442@fx19.am4> <4FEF66A3.9040805@jollybox.de>
From	Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com>
Date	2012-07-02 13:16 -0600
Subject	Re: code review
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Message-ID	<mailman.1718.1341256624.4697.python-list@python.org> (permalink)

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On Sat, Jun 30, 2012 at 2:50 PM, Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> wrote:
> Which of the two comparisons is done first anyway?
> "In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess."

I would consider that a pro, not a con, because the C-like way is much
worse in this regard.  Using operator chaining, is "1 < 2 < 3"
equivalent to:

1 < 2 and 2 < 3  # assuming left-to-right evaluation order for "and"
2 < 3 and 1 < 2

The former seems pretty obvious to me (since it more closely matches
the original syntax) and also turns out to be correct, but more to the
point, most of the time it really doesn't matter which is evaluated
first.  It's only relevant if:

a) your comparison operator has side-effects (bad programmer! bad!); or
b) one of the comparisons is significantly faster than the other --
but since usually both comparisons will be of the same type (e.g. both
comparing two numbers), this is also a corner case.

On the other hand, using the C-like interpretation, is "1 < 2 < 3"
equivalent to:

(1 < 2) < 3
1 < (2 < 3)

I would guess the former is more common, but I really have no basis
for that guess beyond some experience with languages that use this
syntax.  I can see no particular advantages to either interpretation
and can certainly imagine that some languages might choose the latter
instead.  Moreover, the distinction actually matters in this case,
because the first expression is true (at least in Python) while the
second is false.

I will take ambiguity that is mostly unimportant over ambiguity that
is critical to the meaning of the expression any day of the week.

Cheers,
Ian

Thread

code review "Littlefield, Tyler" <tyler@tysdomain.com> - 2012-06-28 20:57 -0600
  Re: code review alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2012-06-28 20:58 -0700
    Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-06-29 07:31 +0000
      Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-06-29 17:42 +1000
      Re: code review "Littlefield, Tyler" <tyler@tysdomain.com> - 2012-06-29 09:03 -0600
        Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-29 19:41 +0000
          Re: code review MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2012-06-29 21:09 +0100
          Re: code review "Martin P. Hellwig" <martin.hellwig@gmail.com> - 2012-06-29 13:27 -0700
            Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-29 20:43 +0000
              Re: code review Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-06-29 19:02 -0400
              Re: code review Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-06-29 23:02 -0400
          Re: code review "Littlefield, Tyler" <tyler@tysdomain.com> - 2012-06-29 14:49 -0600
            Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-30 09:31 +0000
              Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-30 09:36 +0000
          Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-06-30 02:28 +0000
            Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-30 09:22 +0000
          Re: code review Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-06-29 23:00 -0400
        Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-30 10:04 +0000
          Re: code review Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de> - 2012-06-30 12:29 +0200
            Re: code review Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-06-30 20:39 +0200
              Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-06-30 21:38 +0200
                Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-30 20:30 +0000
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-06-30 22:50 +0200
                Re: code review Alain Ketterlin <alain@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr> - 2012-06-30 23:07 +0200
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-06-30 23:35 +0200
                Re: code review Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-06-30 17:47 -0400
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-07-01 00:05 +0200
                Re: code review Alain Ketterlin <alain@dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr> - 2012-07-01 01:03 +0200
                Re: code review Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2012-07-01 10:08 +1000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 10:37 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-01 03:23 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 13:48 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-01 06:54 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 16:59 +1000
                Re: code review Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-07-01 05:55 -0400
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-02 01:26 +0000
                Re: code review Albert van der Horst <albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl> - 2012-07-13 12:30 +0000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-13 15:04 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-14 01:36 +1000
                Re: code review rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-07-13 09:24 -0700
                Re: code review Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-07-13 16:39 -0400
                Re: code review Duncan Booth <duncan.booth@invalid.invalid> - 2012-07-16 10:43 +0000
                Re: code review Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2012-07-16 21:34 +1000
                Re: code review Albert van der Horst <albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl> - 2012-07-17 10:54 +0000
                Re: code review Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-07-13 19:09 -0400
                Re: code review Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-07-14 03:26 -0600
                Re: code review Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-07-14 16:42 -0400
                Re: code review rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-06-30 21:07 -0700
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 14:20 +1000
                Re: code review Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2012-07-01 17:28 +1000
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-07-01 09:46 +0200
                Re: code review HoneyMonster <nobody@someplace.invalid> - 2012-07-01 20:53 +0000
                Re: code review Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 05:18 -0400
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-02 00:41 +0000
                Re: code review Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 21:40 -0400
                Re: code review Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-07-01 13:41 -0400
                Re: code review John O'Hagan <research@johnohagan.com> - 2012-07-02 14:43 +1000
                Re: Re: code review Evan Driscoll <driscoll@cs.wisc.edu> - 2012-06-30 23:45 -0500
                Re: Re: code review Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-07-01 08:57 +0200
                Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-07-01 09:54 +0000
                Re: Re: code review Evan Driscoll <driscoll@cs.wisc.edu> - 2012-07-01 10:48 -0500
                Re: Re: code review lars van gemerden <lars@rational-it.com> - 2012-07-06 04:22 -0700
                Re: Re: code review lars van gemerden <lars@rational-it.com> - 2012-07-06 04:22 -0700
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-06 13:58 +0000
                Re: code review Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2012-07-13 08:32 -0700
                Re: code review Evan Driscoll <driscoll@cs.wisc.edu> - 2012-06-30 23:57 -0500
                Re: code review Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-07-01 09:04 +0200
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-01 02:06 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 12:20 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-01 04:17 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 14:23 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+usenet@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-01 06:27 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 16:33 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-02 01:28 +0000
                Re: code review Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 21:50 -0400
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-02 07:29 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 12:04 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-02 08:11 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 18:20 +1000
                Re: code review Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 08:57 -0700
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 02:42 +1000
                Re: code review Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 11:22 -0700
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-07-02 21:06 +0200
                Re: code review Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 12:35 -0700
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 07:57 +1000
                Re: code review Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2012-07-03 12:19 +0000
                Re: code review Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-07-02 01:20 -0400
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-07-02 16:41 +0200
                Re: code review Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2012-07-02 11:33 -0400
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-07-01 09:35 +0200
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-02 00:43 +0000
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-07-02 16:26 +0200
                Re: code review Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 08:16 -0700
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 02:55 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-03 00:57 +0000
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 11:22 +1000
                Re: code review John O'Hagan <research@johnohagan.com> - 2012-07-03 12:25 +1000
                Re: code review Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-07-03 04:11 +0000
                Re: code review Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-07-03 02:09 -0400
                Re: code review Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2012-07-03 08:33 -0400
                Re: code review Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-03 16:53 +0100
                Re: code review Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-07-03 17:32 -0400
                Re: code review rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 22:10 -0700
                Re: code review Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2012-07-03 15:46 +1000
                Re: code review John O'Hagan <research@johnohagan.com> - 2012-07-04 00:59 +1000
                Re: code review Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-03 16:50 +0100
                Re: code review Paul Rudin <paul.nospam@rudin.co.uk> - 2012-07-04 10:29 +0100
                Re: code review Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-04 17:25 +0100
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-04 01:53 +1000
                Re: code review Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-03 17:05 +0100
                Re: code review Dave Angel <d@davea.name> - 2012-07-03 16:13 -0400
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-04 07:54 +1000
                Re: code review Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-04 09:28 +0100
                Re: code review rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-06-30 19:37 -0700
                Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-01 09:25 +1000
                Re: code review Thomas Jollans <t@jollybox.de> - 2012-07-01 01:50 +0200
                Re: code review "Martin P. Hellwig" <martin.hellwig@gmail.com> - 2012-06-30 14:48 -0700
                Re: code review Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-07-02 13:16 -0600
            Re: code review Alister <alister.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2012-06-30 20:25 +0000
          Re: code review Kushal Kumaran <kushal.kumaran+python@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 23:23 +0530
            Re: code review John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2012-07-03 18:18 +0000
              Re: code review Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 12:27 -0600
              Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-04 07:51 +1000
          Re: code review Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 12:19 -0600
          Re: code review kushal.kumaran+python@gmail.com - 2012-07-04 08:27 +0530
          Re: code review Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-04 13:53 +1000
          Re: code review Simon Cropper <simoncropper@fossworkflowguides.com> - 2012-07-04 14:55 +1000
          Re: code review "Littlefield, Tyler" <tyler@tysdomain.com> - 2012-07-03 23:39 -0600
            Re: code review alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2012-07-03 23:17 -0700
              Re: code review rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-07-04 00:05 -0700
          Apology for OT posts (was: code review) John O'Hagan <research@johnohagan.com> - 2012-07-06 12:06 +1000
          Re: Apology for OT posts Simon Cropper <simoncropper@fossworkflowguides.com> - 2012-07-06 15:30 +1000
          Re: Apology for OT posts Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 17:45 +1000
          Re: Apology for OT posts Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-06 10:37 +0100

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