perplexed about some boolean expressions

[Gianni]

 Shouldn't the last 2 lines give as result false instead of True?

$value = 1
ConsoleWrite( $value = Null)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value > Null)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value < Null)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value >= Null)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value <= Null)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

 

[water]

Null evaluates to 0 in mathematical operations (according to the help file). I can't test at the moment but I would expect:

$value = 1
ConsoleWrite( $value = Null)  ; False
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value > Null)  ; True
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value < Null)  ; False
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value >= Null) ; True
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite( $value <= Null) ; False
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

What do you get?

Edited September 8, 2019 by water

[Gianni]

I get this result:

False
False
False
True
True

 

[water]

I think the problem is caused by the Statement ($value operator Null) not being a mathematical operation. It is a comparison.
Null is not a value (but a keyword) so you can't compare it this way and assume it is evaluated to 0.
I tested:

$value = 1
$Null = Null
;                                                 $Null = ""      $Null = 0       $Null = Null    $Null = Int(Null)
ConsoleWrite($value = $Null)  ; Expected: False   Result: False   Result: False   Result: False   Result: False
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite($value > $Null)  ; Expected: True    Result: True    Result: True    Result: False   Result: True
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite($value < $Null)  ; Expected: False   Result: False   Result: False   Result: False   Result: False
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite($value >= $Null) ; Expected: True    Result: True    Result: True    Result: True    Result: True
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite($value <= $Null) ; Expected: False   Result: False   Result: False   Result: True    Result: False
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF & @CRLF)

 

Edited September 8, 2019 by water

[Gianni]

I was hoping to be able to use it in comparisons too, but as also your tests show, it's better to avoid ...
however I would have expected an error in response to that use rather than these "strange" results.
Thank you @water for your reply.

[water]

You can. Use function IsKeyword. 

[jchd]

Granted, Null has been introduced in AutoIt only lately, yet it's kinda half-backed, maybe due to the variant nature under AutoIt variables.

Idealy, Null literally means "I don't know the value", something completely distinct from zero, empty string, False, an empty array, etc.  So the correct way to handle any operation involving Null is to consistantly return Null.  That's how it behaves in SQL for instance, since SQL explicitely uses ternary logic (True, False, Null).

Anyway, in light of the intended meaning of Null, it doesn't make sense to try to compare this keyword to anything. You should get 5 times Null as result of your code.  Indeed, not returning Null is wrong, else one would have to devise a logical way to compare any datatype to Null and return something sensible.  That's impossible:
Null vs some object ???
Null vs Default ???
Null vs 3.1415926 ???
Null vs False ???

Some may consider debatable whether not returning Null when it's part of an operation is an actual bug, but from my window it clearly is, because Null is currently inconsistent:

expandcollapse popup

ConsoleWrite(Null < 0)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null = 0)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null > 0)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

ConsoleWrite(Null < "")
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null = "")
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null > "")
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

ConsoleWrite(Null < False)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null = False)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null > False)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

ConsoleWrite(Null < True)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null = True)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null > True)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

ConsoleWrite(Null < Default)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null = Default)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)
ConsoleWrite(Null > Default)
ConsoleWrite(@CRLF)

If Null Then ConsoleWrite("Null is True" & @LF)
If Not Null Then ConsoleWrite("Here Null behaves like False" & @LF)

Also Null = Null should return Null as well.

Edited September 9, 2019 by jchd