What is this assignment? Python -

i copied book genetic code , found assignment:

childgenes[index] = alternate \     if newgene == childgenes[index] \     else newgene 

the full code this: main.py:

from population import *  while true:     child = mutate(bestparent)     childfitness = get_fitness(child)     if bestfitness >= childfitness:         continue     print(str(child) + "\t" + str(get_fitness(child)))     if childfitness >= len(bestparent):         break     bestfitness = childfitness     bestparent = child 

population.py:

import random  geneset = " abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz!.,1234567890-_=+!@#$%^&*():'[]\"" target = input()  def generate_parent(length):     genes = []     while len(genes) < length:         samplesize = min(length - len(genes), len(geneset))         genes.extend(random.sample(geneset, samplesize))     parent = ""     in genes:         parent +=     return parent  def get_fitness(guess):     total = 0     in range(len(target)):         if target[i] == guess[i]:             total = total + 1     return total     """     return sum(1 expected, actual in zip(target, guess)         if expected == actual)     """  def mutate(parent):     index = random.randrange(0, len(parent))     childgenes = list(parent)     newgene, alternate = random.sample(geneset, 2)     childgenes[index] = alternate \         if newgene == childgenes[index] \         else newgene      child = ""     in childgenes:         child +=      return child  def display(guess):     timediff = datetime.datetime.now() - starttime     fitness = get_fitness(guess)     print(str(guess) + "\t" + str(fitness) + "\t" + str(timediff))  random.seed() bestparent = generate_parent(len(target)) bestfitness = get_fitness(bestparent) print(bestparent) 

the assignment in population.py, in mutate function. have never seen kind of variable assignment. this? "\" symbol mean?

it alternative of:

if newgene == childgenes[index]:     childgenes[index] = alternate else:     childgenes[index] = newgene 

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