Ternary Operator in Java

 

Ternary Operator in Java

Java - Ternary Operator

The ternary operator in Java is a concise alternative to the if...else statement, allowing for cleaner and more readable code. It evaluates a condition and returns one of two expressions based on whether the condition is true or false.

Ternary Operator :

The ternary operator syntax:
condition ? expression1 : expression2;

• If the condition is true, expression1 is executed.
• If the condition is false, expression2 is executed.

Example:

A vending machine dispenses water when the correct token is inserted.

import java.util.Scanner;

class Main {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

        int token = input.nextInt();

        String message = (token == 20) ? "Collect Water Bottle" : "Invalid Token";

        System.out.println(message);

        input.close();

    }

}

Input 1:

20

Output 1:

Collect Water Bottle

Input 2:

34
Output 2:

Invalid Token




Nested Ternary Operator :

A ternary operator can be nested inside another to handle multiple conditions.

import java.util.Scanner;

class Main {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);

        int a = input.nextInt();

        int b = input.nextInt();

        int c = input.nextInt();

        int largest = (a >= b) ? ((a >= c) ? a : c) : ((b >= c) ? b : c);

        System.out.println(largest + " is the largest among " + a + ", " + b + ", and " + c);

        input.close();

    }

}

Input 1:

67 78 76

Output 1:

78 is the largest among 67, 78, and 76

Input 2:

79 56 87

Output 2:

87 is the largest among 79, 56, and 87

Common Mistakes :

    Using return statements inside a ternary operator

Incorrect :

       boolean isDivisibleByFive = (num % 5 == 0) ? return true : return false;

Correct :

       boolean isDivisibleByFive = (num % 5 == 0) ? true : false;

 Replacing colon (:) with a semicolon (;) :

 InCorrect :

        boolean isDivisibleByFive = (num % 5 == 0) ? true ; false;

 Correct :

        boolean isDivisibleByFive = (num % 5 == 0) ? true : false;

Summary

The ternary operator in Java provides a concise way to replace if...else statements. It evaluates a condition and returns one of two expressions based on the result. Nested ternary operators allow for multiple conditions but should be used carefully to maintain readability.