Ternary Conditional Operator in Python, Java, JavScript

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Ternary Conditional Operator

A ternary conditional operator is a shorthand way of writing an ‘if-else’ statement. It takes the form of a compact one-liner that can be used to return one value if a condition is true and another value if it’s false. The general form of the ternary operator is:

value_if_true if condition else value_if_false

It consists of three parts:

  1. A condition to be evaluated,
  2. A value or expression to be returned if the condition is true,
  3. A value or expression to be returned if the condition is false.

Ternary conditional operator in Python

Python has a ternary conditional operator, also known as the ternary operator or the ternary if-else operator. The ternary operator is a shorthand way of writing an ‘if-else’ statement. the following code uses a ternary operator to assign the value “Positive” to the variable result if the variable x is greater than 0, and “Negative” if it is not:

Python
x = -3
result = "Positive" if x > 0 else "Negative"
print(result)

The above code will print “Negative” as x is -3.

It’s important to note that the ternary operator is not just limited to assigning values to variables, you can use it in any place where you would use an if-else statement, like return statement.

Python
def check_num(x):
    return "Positive" if x > 0 else "Negative"
print(check_num(3))

This will return “Positive” as x is 3

Ternary operator is a concise way of writing if-else statement but it can also make the code harder to read if overused, so use it in moderation.

Ternary conditional operator in Java

Java has a ternary conditional operator, also known as the ternary operator or the ternary if-else operator, similar to the one in Python. The ternary operator is a shorthand way of writing an ‘if-else’ statement. The syntax of the ternary operator is as follows:

Java
condition ? value_if_true : value_if_false;

For example, the following code uses a ternary operator to assign the value “Positive” to the variable ‘result’ if the variable ‘x’ is greater than 0, and “Negative” if it is not:

Java
int x = -5;
String result = x > 0 ? "Positive" : "Negative";
System.out.println(result);

The above code will print “Negative” as x is -5.

It’s important to note that the ternary operator is a powerful tool that can make the code more concise and readable, but it can also make the code harder to read if overused, so use it in moderation.

Also, the ternary operator can only return one value, it can’t be used to set multiple variables, assign multiple values or execute multiple statements.

Additionally, the ternary operator’s condition must be a boolean value, if you use any other type of value, it will cause a compilation error.

Ternary conditional operator in JavaScript

JavaScript has a ternary conditional operator, also known as the ternary operator or the ternary if-else operator, similar to the one in Python and Java. The ternary operator is a shorthand way of writing an ‘if-else’ statement. The syntax of the ternary operator is as follows:

JavaScript
condition ? value_if_true : value_if_false;

For example, the following code uses a ternary operator to assign the value “Positive” to the variable result if the variable x is greater than 0, and “Negative” if it is not:

JavaScript
let x = -5;
let result = x > 0 ? "Positive" : "Negative";
console.log(result);

The above code will print “Negative” as x is -5.

It’s important to note that the ternary operator is a powerful tool that can make the code more concise and readable, but it can also make the code harder to read if overused, so use it in moderation.

Also, the ternary operator can only return one value, it can’t be used to set multiple variables, assign multiple values or execute multiple statements.

Additionally, the ternary operator’s condition must be a boolean value, if you use any other type of value, JavaScript will try to convert it to a boolean using the “truthy” or “falsy” rules.

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