[Python-Dev] For review: PEP 285: Adding a bool type (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido@python.org
Sun, 10 Mar 2002 09:01:29 -0500

I don't see anything about changing operator.truth() in Guido's PEP, and would be surprised if I did: it's been the documented purpose of that function to return 0 or 1 since 1996, and there's no apparent reason to change it. If you want a similar function to return True or False instead, well, that's what the new bool() would do, and TOOWTDI.

The patch I just submitted change the operator module so that all "predicates" are changed from returning 0 or 1 to returning False or True. This includes operator.truth().

IMO, truth() was intended to "normalize" a Boolean result into two values that clearly stand for truth and falsehood; I don't see a problem with the change.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)