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As you all know, Java is an increasingly popular and widely used coding language with numerous distinctive characteristics that help streamline and organize the coding process.
The ternary operator in Java is an illustration of this potential capability. With the help of the Java ternary operator, if-else statements can be written more clearly and quickly.
This operator is progressively growing in terms of popularity among developers. That’s because it helps them perform coding quickly, and they only have to write a few lines of code. Also read out guide on Polymorphism in Java.
That’s why aspiring developers should learn Java ternary operator by enrolling themselves in a full-stack development course.
For now, this article covers a comprehensive guide on Java ternary operators to give a concise idea of what it’s all about.
The ternary operator in Java offers a condensed syntax for determining if a condition is true or false and returning a value determined by the outcome of the Boolean test.
To write extremely condensed and maybe confusing code, if..else expressions can be substituted with the Java ternary operator.
The Java ternary operator adds simplicity and readability to developers’ code, which they adore. But new developers often find difficulty in understanding the syntax and symbols of the Java ternary operator.
Only the Java ternary operator supports three operands in a conditional statement. Java programmers often use the ternary operator in Java as a one-line alternative to the if-then-else expression.
Developers can use the Java ternary operator as a substitution for if-else statements. Also, they can create switch statements with nested ternary operators.
The conditional operator utilizes a smaller amount of space and assists in writing if-else statements speedily, even if it adheres to the exact identical algorithm as an if-else statement.
The ternary operator in Java comes with the following syntax:
Under what conditions? (return if true) : (return if false);
The Java ternary operator symbol (?:) is frequently used as an acronym for the construct in publications and courses.
Despite writing this code:
int time = 20; if (time < 18) { System.out.println("Play Music."); } else { System.out.println("Let’s Dance."); }
You can alternatively write:
int time = 20; String result = (time < 18) ? "Play Music." : "Let’s Dance."; System.out.println(result);
Here is a table demonstrating the structure of Ternary Operators in Java:
Condition
↙ ↘ False True : Part Gets Execute ? Part Gets Execute ↓ ↓ Expression1 Expression2 ↓ ↓ Resultant Value of Expression Variable |
Here are some Java ternary operator examples to know about:
int age = 21; String message = (age >= 21) ? "You can legally drink" : "You cannot legally drink"; System.out.println(message); // "You can legally drink"
int x = 10; int y = 20; int max = (x > y) ? x : y; System.out.println(max); // 20
int a = 10; int b = 20; int c = (a > b) ? 1 : ((a < b) ? -1 : 0); System.out.println(c); // -1
A nested Java ternary operator is the method through which developers can use one ternary operator inside another. Here’s how you can use the nested ternary operator in Java to find the smallest of the three numbers. So, check out this nested Java ternary operator example:
class Main { public static void main(String[] args) { // create a variable int n1 = 4, n2 = 18, n3 = -22; // nested ternary operator // to find the smallest number int largest = (n1 >= n2) ? ((n1 >= n3) ? n1 : n3) : ((n2 >= n3) ? n2 : n3); System.out.println("Smallest Number: " + smallest); } } Output Smallest Number: -22
Follow these steps when using the ternary operator in Java:
To date, among the biggest blunders developers make while using the Java ternary operator is substituting it for an if/else statement whenever they don’t wish to return any results. Consider the if/else statement below as an example:
if (user.valid) { user.save() } else { user.printErrors() }
In this function, no variables are being set, or anything is returned by the if/else in this function. You must avoid using a Java ternary operator in this code because it is only used to determine the program’s flow. This is how it would seem if you used a ternary:
user.valid ? user.save() : user.printErrors()
This code may appear fine, but it is needlessly complex, making it more challenging to grasp the program’s flow than a conventional if/else.
Here are the conditions or situations that call for the use of the Java ternary operator:
Advantages of Java Ternary Operator | Disadvantages of Java Ternary Operator |
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Below is a basic Java ternary operator example in action:
var result = ( Math.random() < 0 ) ? "negative" : "positive"; System.out.print("The random number is " + result); // Java ternary example output: The random number is positive
Here’s how the above Java ternary operator example functions:
The outcome of this Java ternary operator example is always “The random number is positive” since Math.random() always produces positive numbers.
Java has a ternary operator tool that enables you to build shorter if statements to manage the coding flow. Since they take three operands, they are known as ternary operators in Java.
We went over the fundamentals of Java ternary operators in this comprehensive guide. We also looked at the differences between Java if statements and ternary operators and saw both instances in operation.
Do you wish to learn and know more about Java? If so, check this blog post on What is Arrays in Java | Everything You Need to Know!
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