What does =! mean?

[Pupik]

Google was not much help.

I've noticed this more and more in the past 2 weeks...

 

[TB]

Microsoft knows something that Google doesn't?!?

It's a conspiracy, man!

 

[ExigeEvan]

I believe it means it "does not equal". The "!" serves as a way of crossing through the "=".

[EDIT] T.r.e.e.'d.

 

[Famine]

Yes - though I more commonly see it written !=

It's a can't-be-bothered-to-find-the-shortcut-for-≠-alternative.

 

[Pupik]

Okay, thanks.

I prefer Unicode, but I'm picky that way.

 

[Tornado]

Its also used as the (C-like) programming language equivalent to ≠, as I don't believe that sign would do anything in C++.

 

[ferrari_chris]

Does not equal in programming is: !=. We don't use that equals with the line through it...

 

[Perfect Balance]

I usually just write: =\=

That looks weird though. How do I get the equal sign with the line through it without manually copy and pasting it from something else?

 

[Duke]

Figure out the ASCII or hex code for it, then hold down the [alt] key while typing that code in.

 

[Wolfe]

Yup. I have a few accented characters memorized, particularly from typing German.

ü = 0252
ö = 0246
ä = 0228
ß = 0223
é = 0233

 

[Greycap]

Just to add something relevant (and maybe useful) to the discussion the degree symbol ° is 0248. It is handy at times.

 

[Klostrophobic]

Em-dash is the best—although youth_cycler will probably come in here and tell me that's actually an en-dash. And that I used it incorrectly.

 

[Keef]

I think you should have used a comma. My understanding is that an em-dash is used to insert a related comment within a sentence as an alternative to parenthesis. I've seen it used in books when the speaker gets interrupted, also.

 

[Moglet]

Just to add something relevant (and maybe useful) to the discussion the degree symbol ° is 0248. It is handy at times.

On my iMac it's Alt + Shift + 8...

 

[DustDriver]

On my keyboard it's shift )
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

 

[exigeracer]

It might look right on all browsers, but # in italics works out to # pretty handily.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

The most common alternative to != is <>. That's what you have to use in Excel as well.

 

[Kylehnat]

Does that work in Excel? That would save me a lot of if-then BS .

 

[Sage]

Em-dash is the best—although youth_cycler will probably come in here and tell me that's actually an en-dash. And that I used it incorrectly.

How did I miss this?

Anyway, technically it’s okay to use an em-dash in the way that you used it – I just personally prefer to use the en-dash surrounded by spaces in that kind of situation (like I just did). The em-dash is a relic of the Victorian era of typography. (If you want to get really technical, em-dashes are supposed to be surrounded by what are called “hairline” spaces, but most browsers don’t support those.)

I think you should have used a comma. My understanding is that an em-dash is used to insert a related comment within a sentence as an alternative to parenthesis. I've seen it used in books when the speaker gets interrupted, also.

His use of a dash there is fine, because it can be used to indicate a jump in thought when one feels that a comma is too weak. “Weak” sounds like a funny way to put it, but punctuation is often dependent on how to you want to emphasize things – when you join two independent clauses, for example, you can usually use a semicolon, parentheses, or a dash, and your choice just depends on how “strong” and formal you want the separation to be.

 

[Klostrophobic]

I love the look of the em-dash. My favorite character.

As an aside, you should check out London. Helvetica out the ass on every sign, especially in museums.

 

[Paulie]

Yes - though I more commonly see it written !=

It's a can't-be-bothered-to-find-the-shortcut-for-&#8800;-alternative.

There's a shortcut for that? I always wrote it as =/=

 

[Skygrasper550]

Isn't that supposed to be typed as " != " ??

that means "not equal" in programming..,