Unexpected syntax error using php if shorthand

Question

function a(){
//logic here
//else return false
}

function b(){
//logic here
//else return false
}

function c(){
//logic here
//else return false
}

a() ? b() ? c();

I want to run a first, if false go to b if false go to c but I got unexpected ';' error. One more doubt : if a() return false will it go to b()? or I need to set like if(a() != true) ?

That last line makes no sense – John Conde Sep 20 '14 at 01:58 — John Conde, Sep 20 '14 at 01:58
Seems like you're looking for `or` conjunctions. – mario Sep 20 '14 at 01:59 — mario, Sep 20 '14 at 01:59

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:57

1

a() ? b() ? c()

is only valid as the start of

a() ? b() ? c() : ... : ...

which is why PHP complains of an unexpected ;. You can read more about the conditional operator here.

You want

a() || b() || c();

or

a() or b() or c();

PHP, like many languages, short circuit boolean algebra so only as much is evaluated, so it'll stop evaluating the chain when one of the terms returns true.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:57

Community

1
1

answered Sep 20 '14 at 02:01

ikegami

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written the wrong id of duplicate post ... reopened question but still i think its dupe of http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1080247/what-is-the-php-operator-called-and-what-does-it-do – NullPoiиteя Sep 20 '14 at 04:37
@NullPoiиteя, It doesn't solve the OP's problem at all. – ikegami Sep 20 '14 at 18:13

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 20 '14 at 02:01

Proper syntax for operator ?: is $sth? $forTrue : $forFalse;. So if you really want to do this using it, your last line should look like:

a() ? null : (b() ?  null : c());

But I think it looks better and be easier to read if you use if statement.

if (!a()) {
    if(!b()) {
        c();
    }
}

Unexpected syntax error using php if shorthand

2 Answers2