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<B><</B> _ _ _ <B>LESS</B> _ _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _  _ _ _ <B>operator</B><P>
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<em>&lt;</em> is an infix binary logical comparison operator that 
returns true if its first argument is strictly less than its second 
argument. 
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syntax: </H3>
&lt;expression&gt; <em>&lt;</em> &lt;expression&gt; 
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&lt;expression&gt; must evaluate to a number, e.g., integer, rational or 
floating point number. 
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examples: </H3>
<P><PRE><TT>
f := -3; 

  F := -3 


if f &lt; -3 then write &quot;yes&quot; else write &quot;no&quot;; 


  no

</TT></PRE><P>The binary comparison operators can only be used for comparisons b
etween 
numbers or variables that evaluate to numbers. The truth values returned 
by such a comparison can only be used inside programming constructs, such 
as 
<A HREF=r37_0052.html>if</A>...<em>then</em>...<em>else</em> 
or 
<A HREF=r37_0056.html>repeat</A>...<em>until</em> or 

<A HREF=r37_0228.html>while</A>...<em>do</em>. 
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