note 74253 added to control-structures.alternative-syntax

The bug in your example is user error. <? $foobar = 2; echo 'Foobar is ' . ($foobar == 2) ? 'foo' : 'bar'; // outputs 'foo'; echo 'Foobar is ' . (($foobar == 2) ? 'foo' : 'bar'); // outputs 'Foobar is foo'; ?> When using the ? : operators you should always wrap the entire thing in parentheses to avoid the problem you describe. By my understanding, the issue an extension of your example: <? $pet-type = 1; $pet-name = 'Mittens'; echo 'My ' . ($pet-type == 1) ? 'cat' : 'puppy' . 'dog' . '\'s name is ' . $pet-name . '.'; // returns 'cat' echo 'My ' . (($pet-type == 1) ? 'cat' : 'puppy' . 'dog') . '\'s name is ' . $pet-name . '.'; // returns 'My cat\'s name is Mittens.' ?> You see that without parentheses the parser has no way of differentiating between the false case and the rest of the string. ---- Server IP: 66.207.199.35 Probable Submitter: 67.70.104.209 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/control-structures.alternative-syntax.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/74253 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/74253/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/74253/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/74253/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/74253/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/74253/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/74253/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/74253 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/74253 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php