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Use variable > 0 to check whether a Python value is greater than zero. The comparison is strict: it returns True for a positive value and False for zero or a negative value.
Use an explicit comparison
Put the comparison in an if statement when you want to run code only for a positive value:
if variable > 0:
print("The value is greater than zero")Python’s comparison operators are described in the Python Language Reference. A comparison such as variable > 0 evaluates to the Boolean value True or False. If you need to keep the result, assign it to a variable:
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A bare condition checks truthiness, not whether a value is above a threshold. In Python, numeric zero is false in a Boolean context, but a nonzero negative number is true. As a result, if variable: can accept negative numbers, while if variable > 0: rejects them. Python documents these rules under truth value testing and comparisons.
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for variable in (5, 0, -3):
print(variable, variable > 0)This prints:
5 True
0 False
-3 FalseCheck that the value can be compared with zero
The value must support an ordering comparison with the integer 0. For example, Python does not order complex numbers with >; attempting that comparison raises TypeError, as specified in the comparison rules. Other types may define their own comparison behavior, so use a value whose comparison semantics fit your purpose.
When the value comes from input
input() returns text. Convert and validate that text before comparing it numerically; do not compare a string such as "5" directly with integer zero in Python 3. The appropriate conversion depends on the kind of number your program expects.
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