Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial

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From	Roy Smith <roy@panix.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Subject	Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial
Date	Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:22:33 -0400
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In article <iorui3$a9g$1@speranza.aioe.org>, Mel <mwilson@the-wire.com> 
wrote:

> > Strings should auto-type-promote to numbers if appropriate.
> 
> "Appropriate" is the problem.  This is why Perl needs two completely 
> different kinds of comparison -- one that works as though its operands are 
> numbers, and one that works as though they're strings.  Surprises to the 
> programmer who picks the wrong one.

Ugh, tell me about it.

The project I'm currently working on used to use PHP (which has the same 
auto-promotion semantics as Perl) as the front end to a SQL database.  
The PHP code gleefully turned strings into numbers and back again all 
over the place, but it all got cleaned up at the database interface 
since SQL has strict typing.

We converted the back end database to MongoDB, which does not have 
strict typing.  We're still cleaning up the mess of inconsistent data 
(i.e. string vs integer) that creeps into the database through various 
paths.  Not to mention 0 vs. '' vs null vs false.

Implicit type conversion can be convenient.  But, then again, so can 
removing the safety guards from a chain saw.

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learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Ron <ron.reiter@gmail.com> - 2011-04-20 10:15 -0700
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Matty Sarro <msarro@gmail.com> - 2011-04-20 13:57 -0400
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-04-20 18:12 -0400
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-21 14:07 +1000
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Algis Kabaila <akabaila@pcug.org.au> - 2011-04-21 17:10 +1000
    Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-04-21 02:29 -0500
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-21 17:19 +1000
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Heiko Wundram <modelnine@modelnine.org> - 2011-04-21 09:30 +0200
    Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-04-22 01:38 -0500
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-22 17:08 +1000
        Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-04-23 19:37 -0500
          Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> - 2011-04-24 12:23 +1000
            Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-04-23 21:39 -0500
              Re: Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Dave Angel <davea@ieee.org> - 2011-04-24 07:16 -0400
                Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-04-25 01:14 -0500
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Mel <mwilson@the-wire.com> - 2011-04-22 09:07 -0400
        Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-04-22 09:22 -0400
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2011-04-22 23:28 -0700
        Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial flebber <flebber.crue@gmail.com> - 2011-04-23 05:49 -0700
          Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2011-04-23 11:01 -0700
        Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-04-23 08:16 -0700
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-04-23 08:21 -0700
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Dotan Cohen <dotancohen@gmail.com> - 2011-04-23 19:51 +0300
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2011-04-23 12:25 -0500
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Westley Martínez <anikom15@gmail.com> - 2011-04-23 12:38 -0700
      Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-04-24 00:42 +0000
        Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-24 11:35 +1000
          Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-04-24 08:13 +0000
            Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-04-24 18:21 +1000
        Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-04-23 22:10 -0500
          Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-04-24 09:18 +0000
            Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial harrismh777 <harrismh777@charter.net> - 2011-04-25 01:20 -0500
              Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-04-25 11:43 -0400
              Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2011-04-26 13:06 +1200
          Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial jmfauth <wxjmfauth@gmail.com> - 2011-04-24 08:15 -0700
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Westley Martínez <anikom15@gmail.com> - 2011-04-21 07:14 -0700
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2011-04-21 17:13 +0100
  Re: learnpython.org - an online interactive Python tutorial Dotan Cohen <dotancohen@gmail.com> - 2011-04-23 16:45 +0300

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