why wont this work? (python using or in an if statemt)

[richodude]

total = 3

def function():
    global total
    if total == 1 or 2:
        print(total)
        print("I'm a function that lets you know that your number is 1 or 2!")
    else:
        print("This is to let you know your number ISNT 1 or 2!")
        
def function_quotes():
    global total
    if total == "1" or "2":
        print(total)
        print("I'm a function that lets you know that your number is 1 or 2!")
    else:
        print("This is to let you know your number ISNT 1 or 2!")
            
function()
function_quotes()

 

obviously the expected outcome is that the else line will get executed instead of the if line

[Alvin853]

That's not how 

or

works. The == takes precedence over the or, so 

total == 1 or 2

evaluates to 

(3 == 1) or 2 
false or 2

"or 2" doesn't mean anything to Python, so the 2 is converted to a boolean, which turns it into true, and true on any side of an "or" makes the whole thing true.

You need to write

total == 1 or total == 2

for it to work as expected