Is it equal, not equal, or something else?
Before you learn about conditional statements, you need to realize that computers make decisions based on comparison operators. These help us compare two things so that the computer can make a decision about what to do next. Here is a list of operators:
|
Comparison Operators | |
|---|---|
|
Less than |
< |
|
Less than or equal to |
<= |
|
Greater than |
> |
|
Greater than or equal to |
>= |
|
Equal to |
== |
|
Not equal to |
!= |
Each of these operators allows us to compare two values. The most confusing operator is the equal to operator because it uses two equals signs. The reason for this is that when we set a variable, we use one equal sign. We do not want the computer to get confused when we are comparing two values, so we use two equals signs. When we use the comparison operators with if, elif, and else, our program can be written to make better decisions.
To take a look at how these operators work in real life, open up your Python shell and type the following lines...
