Req #54106 [Opn->Wfx]: Shortcut "ternary" companion operator

Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=54106&edit=1 ID: 54106 Updated by: aharvey@php.net Reported by: a at b dot c dot de Summary: Shortcut "ternary" companion operator -Status: Open +Status: Wont fix Type: Feature/Change Request Package: Scripting Engine problem Operating System: Irrelevant PHP Version: Irrelevant Block user comment: N Private report: N New Comment: I don't see much value in adding more line noise to the already line noisey variations on the ternary operator, personally. Write an RFC and post to Internals if you feel strongly about it. @marrch.caat: You can already do that with $a ?: $b. Previous Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2012-08-27 14:29:26] marrch dot caat at gmail dot com Looks like the description is a bit weird, or I just couldn't understand it. I see no meaning in expression $a ? $c ? $a - but I often use scripts like $a ? $a : $b - which means that if $a isn't empty, use it, otherwise use $b. C# and some other languages have an ?? operator for that, and if it would exist in PHP, it'd be possible to write expressions like the following: $connStr = $currConn ?? $config['defaultConnStr'] ?? requestUserForConnStr(); - which is enough clear and useful. Now it has to be written by either sequence of IFs, or by something like: $connStr = $currConn ? $currConn : ($config['defaultConnStr'] ? $config['defaultConnStr'] : requestUserForConnStr()); - which isn't that clear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2011-02-26 15:55:07] a at b dot c dot de Description: ------------ The expression $a ? $b : $c can be shortened to $a ?: $c if $b==$c. In this the "?:" operator behaves much like the "||" operator in, say, Perl or JavaScript, or the "or" operator of Python: "$a if it looks true, $c otherwise". But those three languages also have "&&" (or "and") operators which mean "$a if it looks false, $c otherwise". PHP currently lacks such an operator: where Python can have "a and c", PHP still needs "$a ? $c : $a", including the potential double evaluation or intermediate variable needed if "$a" is anything more complex. So the Feature Request is another operator, perhaps ":?", which behaves as described in the third paragraph above: "$a :? $c" would be an abbreviation for and equivalent to "$a ? $c : $a". It's possible to come up with a tortured bit of algebra to justify the ":?" symbol, but aesthetic symmetry ought to be enough of an excuse both for the symbol and more importantly the operator it identifies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Edit this bug report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=54106&edit=1