* Esmail:
Ok, this is somewhat unexpected:
Python 2.6.2 (release26-maint, Apr 19 2009, 01:56:41)
[GCC 4.3.3] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> -3**2
-9
>>> x = -3
>>> x**2
9
>>>
I would have expected the same result in both cases.
Initially I would have expected -3**2 to yield 9, but I can accept
that ** binds tighter than the unary -, but shouldn't the results
be consistent regardless if I use a literal or a variable?
It is.
>>> -3**2
-9
>>> x = 3
>>> -x**2
-9
>>>
:-)
I guess you expect your expression "x**2" to somehow be evaluated as "-3**2".
But x doesn't contain text, it contains an integer value that presumably (I
don't know) is represented in the binary number system, so it's evaluated as
"(-3)**2". If x contained text and was evaluated as such, pure text replacement,
then you should be able to write 2 x and have that evaluated as "2 -x"...
Cheers & hth.,
- Alf
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