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Boolean Logic - Is it True or False?

Boolean values

In Boolean logic, named after George Boole, any given expression will ultimately have only one of two values: true or false.

Boolean literals

There are Boolean literals to represent each of these values in code.

Python

In Python, Boolean literals are written in uppercase.

Java, Javascript, PHP

In most high-level programming languages, Boolean literals are written lowercase.

Boolean logic operators

Boolean logic operators (and, or, and not) work much the same way as they are used in regular English speech.

AND

The AND logic operator is used to evaluate two Boolean values according to the following truth table:

AND logic

AND requires that two expressions both be true in order for the entire expression to evaluate to true. In all other cases, the expression evaluates to false.

Imagine the following phrase in code, "If today is Tuesday and I work as a plumber, then I must go to work today."

Python

today = "Monday"
my_job = "plumber"
if today == "Tuesday" and my_job == "plumber":
    print("Get to work!")

The above example has the day hard-coded as "Monday". Here's an alternate version of the same program that determines the true the day of the week:

#the datetime module can return the day of the week as an int between 0 to 6, representing the days from Monday to Sunday
import datetime
today = datetime.datetime.today().weekday()
my_job = "plumber"
if today == 2 and my_job == "plumber":
    print("Get to work!")

Java

String today = "Monday";
String myJob = "plumber";
if (today.equals("Tuesday") && myJob == "plumber") {
    System.out.println("Get to work!");
}

OR

The OR logic operator is used to evaluate two Boolean values according to the following truth table:

OR logic

If one or more values in an OR expression evaluates is true, the entire expression is true. If both values are false, the entire expression evaluates to false.

Imagine the following phrase in code, "If I'm feeling lazy or overworked, I'm going to take the day off."

Python

feeling = "lazy"
horribly_overworked = False
if feeling == "lazy" or horribly_overworked == True:
    print("Take the day off!")

Java

String feeling = "lazy";
boolean horriblyOverworked = false;
if (feeling.equals("lazy") || horriblyOverworked == true) {
    System.out.println("Take the day off!");
}

NOT

The NOT logic operator is used to evaluate a single Boolean values and flip it to its invert:

NOT logic

NOT logic simply reverses a Boolean value. If something was true, it becomes false. If it was false, it becomes true.

Imagine the following phrase in code, “If this is not fun, then why am I doing it?”

Python

this_is_fun = False
if not this_is_fun:
   print("Then why are you doing this?")

Java

boolean thisIsFun = false;
if (!thisIsFun) {
    System.out.println("Then why are you doing this?");
}

Boolean comparison operators

Most high-level programming languages have the same set of comparison operators that, when used in an expression, always result in a Boolean value:

The == matrix

”==” is a comparison operator. It evaluates an expression to be true if the two sides of the operator have the same value.

The != matrix

The opposite of the “==” operator. It evaluates an expression to true if the two sides of the operator do NOT have the same value.