Why is int(50)<str(5) in python 2.x?

Question

In python 3, int(50)<\'2\' causes a TypeError, and well it should. In python 2.x, however, int(50)<\'2\' returns True

Answer 1

It works like this¹.

>>> float() == long() == int() < dict() < list() < str() < tuple()
True

Numbers compare as less than containers. Numeric types are converted to a common type and compared based on their numeric value. Containers are compared by the alphabetic value of their names.²

From the docs:

CPython implementation detail: Objects of different types except numbers are ordered by >their type names; objects of the same types that don’t support proper comparison are >ordered by their address.

Objects of different builtin types compare alphabetically by the name of their type int starts with an 'i' and str starts with an s so any int is less than any str..

1. I have no idea.
   • A drunken master.
2. It means that a formal order has been introduced on the builtin types.
   • It's referring to an arbitrary order.
   • No.
3. No. strings and unicode objects are considered the same for this purpose. Try it out.

In response to the comment about long < int

>>> int < long
True

You probably meant values of those types though, in which case the numeric comparison applies.

^{1 This is all on Python 2.6.5}

^{2 Thank to kRON for clearing this up for me. I'd never thought to compare a number to a dict before and comparison of numbers is one of those things that's so obvious that it's easy to overlook.}