PowerShell Equality Comparison Operators
- Posted in:
- Development
- PowerShell
When comparing two values in a programming or scripting language, you are most likely going to use syntax consisting of characters you learned as a youngster in math. Those who are new to programming will almost certainly recognize them. Python, Java, C, C++, Javascript, C#, and R all use those same characters and syntax. They're on a list of the top programming languages of 2021 along with a few others. The comparison operators and their syntax are as follows:
| Comparison | Syntax |
|---|---|
| Equals | == |
| Not Equals | != |
| Greater Than | > |
| Greater Than or Equal | >= |
| Less Than | < |
| Less Than or Equal | <= |
Against The Norm
When comparing two values in PowerShell, you'll have to march to the beat of a different drum. The syntax is drastically different:
| Comparison | Syntax |
|---|---|
| Equals | -eq |
| Not Equals | -ne |
| Greater Than | -gt |
| Greater Than or Equal | -ge |
| Less Than | -lt |
| Less Than or Equal | -le |
I've quipped that people should stop creating programming languages out of spite. In the same vein, I can't help but wonder what the creators of PowerShell were thinking when they chose the syntax for equality comparison. Why, PowerShell? Why?
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