a basic question about while true

0 votes

level: beginner

def play_game(word_list):
    hand = deal_hand(HAND_SIZE) # random init
    while True:
        cmd = raw_input('Enter n to deal a new hand, r to replay the last hand, or e to end game: ')
        if cmd == 'n':
            hand = deal_hand(HAND_SIZE)
            play_hand(hand.copy(), word_list)
            print
        elif cmd == 'r':
            play_hand(hand.copy(), word_list)
            print
        elif cmd == 'e':
            break
        else:
            print "Invalid command."

my question: while WHAT is True?

i reckon saying 'while true' is shorthand but for what? while the variable 'hand' is being assigned a value? and what if the variable 'hand' is not being assigned a value?

Jun 4, 2018 in Python by charlie_brown
• 7,720 points
6,117 views

1 answer to this question.

0 votes
while True means loop forever. The while statement takes an expression and executes the loop body while the expression evaluates to (boolean) "true". True always evaluates to boolean "true" and thus executes the loop body indefinitely. It's an idiom that you'll just get used to eventually! Most languages you're likely to encounter have equivalent idioms.

Note that most languages usually have some mechanism for breaking out of the loop early. In the case of Python it's the break statement in the cmd == 'e' case of the sample in your question.
answered Jun 4, 2018 by aryya
• 7,460 points

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