note 115208 added to language.operators.logical

If you want to use the '||' operator to set a default value, like this: <?php $a = $fruit || 'apple'; //if $fruit evaluates to FALSE, then $a will be set to TRUE (because (bool)'apple' == TRUE) ?> instead, you have to use the '?:' operator: <?php $a = ($fruit ? $fruit : 'apple');//if $fruit evaluates to FALSE, then $a will be set to 'apple' ?> But $fruit will be evaluated twice, which is not desirable. For example fruit() will be called twice: <?php function fruit($confirm) { if($confirm) return 'banana'; } $a = (fruit(1) ? fruit(1) : 'apple');//fruit() will be called twice! ?> But since «since PHP 5.3, it is possible to leave out the middle part of the ternary operator» (http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.operators.comparison.php#language.operators.comparison.ternary), now you can code like this: <?php $a = ($fruit ? : 'apple'); //this will evaluate $fruit only once, and if it evaluates to FALSE, then $a will be set to 'apple' ?> But remember that a non-empty string '0' evaluates to FALSE! <?php $fruit = '1'; $a = ($fruit ? : 'apple'); //this line will set $a to '1' $fruit = '0'; $a = ($fruit ? : 'apple'); //this line will set $a to 'apple', not '0'! ?> ---- Server IP: 72.52.91.14 Probable Submitter: 109.110.92.25 ---- Manual Page -- http://php.net/manual/en/language.operators.logical.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/115208 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/115208/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/115208/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/115208/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/115208/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/115208/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/115208/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/115208 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/115208 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php