[Zope] A quick zope/python question

9 May 2006

      I have a short python script:

gc = context.restrictedTraverse('coup/temp_folder/GarbageCollector', None)
print 'gc=',str(gc)
if gc:
  print 'GarbageCollector exists'
else:
  print 'No GarbageCollector'

which, when run produces:

gc= <TransientObjectContainer at GarbageCollector>
No GarbageCollector

Which is really strange because 'gc' was just reported to be a TOC!

When the script is changed to:

gc = context.restrictedTraverse('coup/temp_folder/GarbageCollector', None)
print 'gc=',str(gc)
if gc is not None:
  print 'GarbageCollector exists'
else:
  print 'No GarbageCollector'

I get the expected response:

gc= <TransientObjectContainer at GarbageCollector>
GarbageCollector exists

I think I am misunderstanding something basic about python/zope here. Why 
does a TOC object evaluate to false?

Thanks,

Jonathan