Python - Zelle book uses eval(), is it wrong?

Question

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT about the use of eval(), it is about the potential quality (or lack thereof) of a book it is used and taught in. SO already has countless threads ab

Answer 1

Since eval is so out of place and unnecessary in the example you give, I would certainly have doubts about the safety of other parts of the book. Is the author going to suggest that you append a user entered string to a SQL query?

I think it could be worth finding the author's email address and asking him about it directly.