From: David Naseby <david.naseby@...>
Date: 2004-05-19T12:42:48+09:00
Subject: Re: Zero is true ... whoda thunk?

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Michael Geary [mailto:Mike@DeleteThis.Geary.com]
>
>Because in the real world, zero means false.
>
>Suppose you have zero quarts of milk in your refrigerator. I 
>am visiting and
>I ask:
>
>Got milk?
>
>What's your answer, yes or no?
>
>No, of course.

I'd prefer to encode this as:

  if got_milk?  ... end

where

  def got_milk?
    @milk_volume.zero?
  end

vs.
 
  if @milk_volume  ...  end

If milk volume is what? It just doesn't read well, it doesn't express
intent.. its just poor coding, really. I'd contend there's more of a "geeky
kind of logic" in 0 meaning false.

David
http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~naseby/