In Python, each value has a boolean value. It is implicitly cast when you use if, bool, not etc.
False objects are None, False, 0 of any type, and empty collections: "", [], {} etc., including custom collections with the __len__ method as long as __len__ returns 0.
You can also define custom truth value testing for your objects, the __bool__ magic method is there for this:
class Rectangle:
def __init__(self, width, height):
self._w = width
self._h = height
def __bool__(self):
return bool(self._w and self._h)In : bool(Rectangle(2, 3))
Out: True
In : bool(Rectangle(2, 0))
Out: False
In : bool(Rectangle(0, 2))
Out: False
Mind, that __bool__ is called __nonzero__ in Python 2.