pythonType errorEasy

Setting "False" still turns the switch on

Time: 0:00

BugFind the bug and fix the code

What it should do

parse_flag(text) reads a setting written as "true" or "false", in any case, and returns True or False. Example: parse_flag("False") → False.

What happens instead

parse_flag("False") returns True.

def parse_flag(text):
    return bool(text)

Test a custom input to verify an edge case (e.g. empty lists, negative numbers, duplicates).

⏱️0:00

Hints

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Hint 3

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This bug belongs to the type errors pattern

Totals that concatenate, sorts that put 10 before 9, comparisons that refuse to run.

Learn the type errors pattern Step through your own code

Spoiler: why this bug happens(try it first; the hints get warmer one at a time)

What went wrong: bool() does not read the word. It only checks if the text is empty. "False" is not empty, so it is True.

The fix: return text.strip().lower() == "true"

Remember: settings from files and forms are text. Compare the words.

The pattern behind it: type errors.

More type errors to practise

Seen this error in your own code?

bool('False') is True

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