q, w = 1, 2 if 1 < 2 else 2, 1; ValueError: too many values to unpack. Why?

Question

As stated in the title

q, w = 1, 2 if 1 < 2 else 2, 1
ValueError: too many values to unpack

What's going on here??

Answer 1

If you inspect

1, 2 if 1 < 2 else 2, 1

then you see that python will interpret it like

(1, 2 if 1 < 2 else 2) , 1

and you will end up with (1, 2, 1) which contains too much values for 2 variables of q, w

Because python accepts first comma after conditional (1 < 2) as the end of single line if-else statement and append after-the-comma section to the resulting value set.

A parenthesis at the last value set will be enough

q, w = 1, 2 if 1 < 2 else (2, 1)

But it would definitely be better to use parenthesis for both

q, w = (1, 2) if 1 < 2 else (2, 1)