PHP Ternary Operator
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Basic Ternary Operator
condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse packs a simple two-way choice into a single expression, replacing a 4-line if/else block that only assigns one variable. It reads best when the condition and both outcomes are short and clear — for anything more involved, a real if/else stays more readable.
Example: Basic Ternary Operator
<?php
$age = 20;
$status = $age >= 18 ? "adult" : "minor";
echo $status;
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Short Ternary Operator
$value ?: $fallback — the short ternary, sometimes called the Elvis operator for how it looks — returns $value itself if it's truthy, or $fallback otherwise. It's shorthand for $value ? $value : $fallback without repeating $value twice.
Example: Short Ternary Operator
<?php
$value = "";
$result = $value ?: "fallback";
echo $result;
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Null Coalescing Operator
$value ?? $fallback, the null coalescing operator, returns $value unless it's null or entirely undefined, in which case it returns $fallback. Unlike the short ternary above, it checks specifically for null/undefined rather than any falsy value, so 0 or '' pass through untouched instead of triggering the fallback.
Example: Null Coalescing Operator
<?php
$value = 0;
echo $value ?? "fallback";
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Direct Output with Ternary
Because the ternary operator is itself an expression with a value, you can drop it directly inside an echo call — echo $loggedIn ? 'Welcome back' : 'Please log in'; — without needing a separate variable to hold the chosen string first.
Example: Direct Output with Ternary
<?php
$loggedIn = true;
echo $loggedIn ? 'Welcome back' : 'Please log in';
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Nested Ternary Operators
Nesting one ternary inside another lets you express a short chain of choices in a single line, but readability drops fast past two levels. Past that point, a match expression or a plain if/elseif chain almost always communicates the same logic more clearly.
Example: Nested Ternary Operators
<?php
$score = 75;
$grade = $score >= 90 ? "A" : ($score >= 70 ? "B" : "C");
echo $grade;
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