What are PHP's Conditional Operators '?' and ':', and How Do They Work?

Diving into PHP Conditional Operators: The Enigmatic "?" and ":"

PHP's arsenal of operators boasts two enigmatic characters: "?" and ":". Understanding their purpose is crucial for unlocking concise and expressive PHP code.

Introducing the Conditional Operator

The "?" operator plays a pivotal role in PHP. When faced with expressions like:

(($request_type == 'SSL') ? HTTPS_SERVER : HTTP_SERVER)

You're essentially utilizing the conditional operator. Its syntax boils down to:

$x ? $y : $z

This reads as "if $x is true, evaluate $y; otherwise, evaluate $z".

Variants Abound

The conditional operator has a shorter cousin: the "??". Here's how it plays out:

$x ?: $z

Using this shorthand, if $x is true, it simply returns $x. Otherwise, it defaults to $z.

Ternary Twist

While the conditional operator is often referred to as "the ternary operator," this is technically a misnomer. It's a member of the ternary operator family, known for having three operands. Most languages only offer a single ternary operator, leading to the misconception.

The above is the detailed content of What are PHP's Conditional Operators '?' and ':', and How Do They Work?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!