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Re: while True or while 1

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On Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:25:25 +0000, Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> Or they've been writing Python code since before version 2.2 when True
> and False were introduced, and so they are used to the "while 1" idiom
> and never lost the habit.

That would be me.

As per a now-ancient suggestion on this mailing list (I believe it was by 
Tim Peters), I've also been known to use a non-empty, literal Python 
string as a self-documenting, forever-True value in the typical loop-and-a-
half cnstruct:

    while "the temperature is too big":
        temperature = get_temperature()
        if temperature <= threshold:
            break
        process_temperature(temperature)

This way, even though the loop condition is buried inside the loop (which 
could be longer than four lines), it is apparent as soon as I encounter 
the loop.

With the advent of the "with" statement, though, these loops are slowly 
disappearing.

-- 
Dan

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Re: while True or while 1 Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-01-22 01:59 +1100
  Re: while True or while 1 Erik Max Francis <max@alcyone.com> - 2012-01-21 13:13 -0800
    Re: while True or while 1 Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-01-22 09:13 +1100
      Re: while True or while 1 Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-01-22 05:25 +0000
        Re: while True or while 1 Dan Sommers <dan@tombstonezero.net> - 2012-01-22 16:05 +0000
          Re: while True or while 1 alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2012-01-22 19:55 -0800
            Re: while True or while 1 Dave Angel <d@davea.name> - 2012-01-23 08:02 -0500
              Re: while True or while 1 Hrvoje Niksic <hniksic@xemacs.org> - 2012-01-23 14:28 +0100
                Re: while True or while 1 Dave Angel <d@davea.name> - 2012-01-23 13:33 -0500
        Re: while True or while 1 MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2012-01-22 16:13 +0000
    Re: while True or while 1 Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2012-01-23 15:51 +0000
    Re: while True or while 1 Giampaolo Rodolà <g.rodola@gmail.com> - 2012-01-23 17:41 +0100
      Re: while True or while 1 Erik Max Francis <max@alcyone.com> - 2012-01-23 11:12 -0800
        Re: while True or while 1 Giampaolo Rodolà <g.rodola@gmail.com> - 2012-01-23 21:20 +0100
    Re: while True or while 1 Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-01-23 10:39 -0700
    Re: while True or while 1 Evan Driscoll <edriscoll@wisc.edu> - 2012-01-23 12:05 -0600
    Re: while True or while 1 Andrea Crotti <andrea.crotti.0@gmail.com> - 2012-01-23 20:50 +0000
      Re: while True or while 1 88888 Dihedral <dihedral88888@googlemail.com> - 2012-01-23 14:42 -0800
      Re: while True or while 1 88888 Dihedral <dihedral88888@googlemail.com> - 2012-01-23 14:42 -0800
      Re: while True or while 1 Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-01-24 03:37 +0000

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