Python function: user input to get positive integer using assert

Question

Is it a bad thing to use asserts to validate user inputs? Or should I keep using an if statement in case the number isnt positive?

Code with assert statement:

def get_posit_n() -> int:
 from locale import atoi
 while True:
 try:
 number = atoi(input('Enter a positive integer:\n-> ').strip())
 assert (number > 0)
 return number
 except (ValueError, AssertionError):
 print('Number must be an positive integer...\n')

Code with if statement:

def get_positive_integer(msg: str = "Enter a integer value: ") -> int:
 from locale import atoi
 while True:
 try:
 number: int = atoi(input(msg + '\n-> ').strip())
 if number <= 0:
 continue
 return number
 except ValueError:
 print('Invalid value!\n')

Answer 1

The intended use of assert is in test code, or to validate internal preconditions.

To validate user input, the common recommendation is to raise a ValueError.

There is no point in raising an error (with assert in the posted code) only to catch it right after.

Also, AssertionError is not meant to be caught, it's meant to let it crash the program.

Taking the best parts of the examples:

from locale import atoi
def input_positive_integer() -> int:
 while True:
 try:
 number: int = atoi(input('Enter a positive integer:\n-> ').strip())
 if number <= 0:
 print('Number must be a positive integer...\n')
 continue
 return number
 except ValueError:
 print('Invalid value!\n')

• eddyxide: Thank you, janos!
• BruceWayne: What does atoi do? "Attempt to Integer"? Is it basically forcing/expecting the input to be an integer?
• Teepeemm: @BruceWayne It appears to be a standard function: docs.python.org/3/library/locale.html#locale.atoi
• BruceWayne: @Teepeemm I will look into it, thanks. I wonder why int() wouldn't work ...but that's a separate question.