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PHP Shorthand If/Else Using Ternary Operators (?:)

An essential part of programming is evaluating conditions using if/else and switch/case statements. If / Else statements are easy to code and global to all languages. If / Else statements are great but they can be too long.

I preach a lot about using shorthand CSS and using MooTools to make JavaScript relatively shorthand, so I look towards PHP to do the same. If/Else statements aren't optimal (or necessary) in all situations. Enter ternary operators.

Ternary operator logic is the process of using "(condition) ? (true return value) : (false return value)" statements to shorten your if/else structures.

What Does Ternary Logic Look Like?

/* most basic usage */
$var = 5;
$var_is_greater_than_two = ($var > 2 ? true : false); // returns true

What Are The Advantages of Ternary Logic?

There are some valuable advantages to using this type of logic:

• Makes coding simple if/else logic quicker
• You can do your if/else logic inline with output instead of breaking your output building for if/else statements
• Makes code shorter
• Makes maintaining code quicker, easier
• Job security?

Tips for Using Ternary Operators

Here are a few tips for when using "?:" logic:

• Don't go more levels deep than what you feel comfortable with maintaining.
• If you work in a team setting, make sure the other programmers understand the code.
• PHP.net recommends avoiding stacking ternary operators. "Is [sic] is recommended that you avoid "stacking" ternary expressions. PHP's behaviour when using more than one ternary operator within a single statement is non-obvious."
• If you aren't experienced with using ternary operators, write your code using if/else first, then translate the code into ?'s and :'s.
• Use enough parenthesis to keep your code organized, but so many that you create "code soup."

More Sample Usage

Here are a couple more uses of ternary operators, ranging from simple to advanced:

 /* another basic usage */

$message = 'Hello '.($user->is_logged_in() ? $user->get('first_name') : 'Guest');

 /* echo, inline */

echo 'Based on your score, you are a ',($score > 10 ? 'genius' : 'nobody'); //harsh!

 /* a bit tougher */
$score = 10;
$age = 20;
echo 'Taking into account your age and score, you are: ',($age > 10 ? ($score < 80 ? 'behind' : 'above average') : ($score < 50 ? 'behind' : 'above average')); // returns 'You are behind'

 /* "thankfully-you-don't-need-to-maintain-this" level */
 $days = ($month == 2 ? ($year % 4 ? 28 : ($year % 100 ? 29 : ($year %400 ? 28 : 29))) : (($month - 1) % 7 % 2 ? 30 : 31)); //returns days in the given month

To learn more about ternary operators and usage, visit PHP.net Comparison Operators.

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