Note: The attached image is a screenshot of page 31 of Dr. Charles Severance’s book, Python for Everybody: Exploring Data Using Python 3 (2024-01-01 Revision).

I thought = was a mathematical operator, not a logical operator; why does Python use

>= instead of >==, or <= instead of <==, or != instead of !==?

Thanks in advance for any clarification. I would have posted this in the help forums of FreeCodeCamp, but I wasn’t sure if this question was too…unspecified(?) for that domain.

Cheers!

 

Edit: I think I get it now! Thanks so much to everyone for helping, and @FizzyOrange@programming.dev and @itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone in particular! ^_^

  • _stranger_@lemmy.world
    24·
    2 months ago

    It would be confusing and weird if “=” did different things depending on the context.

    = is the assignment operator

    == is the comparison operator.

    the others using = only is probably just to keep things short, and the fact that the context is a lot clearer with another character like < next to the =

    • rtxn@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      2 months ago

      Pascal uses = for comparison (and := for assignment), which confused the fuck out of me when I switched to C.

      • driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br
        5·
        2 months ago

        Some people in mathematics use := to assign functions, like f(x) := x^2; then when evaluating the function you use f(2) = 4, because it can be ser as a “true” comparison

        • rtxn@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          2 months ago

          I’ve never seen that, even in university, and it would be equally as confusing without explanation.

          • driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br
            5·
            2 months ago

            I only remember two of my professors using it, and I has to ask the first one what that mean and explain to my classmates on the second one.

    • EveryMuffinIsNowEncrypted@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      It would be confusing and weird if “=” did different things depending on the context.

      That’s why I’m confused! It seems like it does!

      If I were to write the code

      x = 20
print(x*2)

      it would execute as 40.

      But then the video turns around and says that == is equal to, not =.