The ternary operator in PHP is a shorthand way of writing an if-else statement. It makes your code shorter and more readable.
🛠 Syntax of the Ternary Operator
The ternary operator uses three parts:
(condition) ? value_if_true : value_if_false;
It checks the condition. If it’s true, it returns the first value; otherwise, it returns the second value.
📝 Example 1: Basic Ternary Operator
Let’s check if a number is even or odd.
<?php
$number = 10;
$result = ($number % 2 == 0) ? "Even" : "Odd";
echo $result; // Output: Even
?>
📝 Example 2: Ternary Operator with User Input
Check if a user is old enough to vote.
<?php
$age = 18;
$message = ($age >= 18) ? "You can vote!" : "You cannot vote yet.";
echo $message;
?>
📝 Example 3: Nested Ternary Operator
Find the largest number among three.
<?php
$a = 10;
$b = 20;
$c = 15;
$max = ($a > $b) ? (($a > $c) ? $a : $c) : (($b > $c) ? $b : $c);
echo "Largest number is: " . $max; // Output: 20
?>
🎯 Why Use the Ternary Operator?
- ✅ Makes code shorter and cleaner
- ✅ Works great for simple if-else conditions
- ✅ Improves readability in PHP scripts
📝 Practice Time!
Try modifying the examples above and see how the ternary operator works with different values. The best way to learn is by experimenting! 🚀