This:
{1234|count_characters}
Outputs:
4
Good. But this:
{if 12345|count_characters == 4}
it's 4
{/if}
outputs it's 4. The above if statement should evaluate to false obviously. Why is it always evaluating true?
The count_characters smarty modifier simply shows the number of characters in a string or number:
http://www.smarty.net/docsv2/en/language.modifier.count.characters.tpl
Because the {x|y} syntax is a smarty shortcode for echo y(x).... where echo is significant
However, {if y|x ==4 } is the equivalent of performing bitwise or (|) on x and y (12345|count_characters is true because 12345 is true, even though count_characters would be tested as a constant and if the constant doesn't exist then as a string literal, while throwing a notice), comparing the result of that operation against 4 (true == 4 with loose-typing), and then if true, etc