Ternary Operator (?:) in Java

Overview

Like the if/else statement, the ternary operator creates a logical branching in the code where it is used. Unlike if/else statements, the ternary operator is an expression, meaning that it produces (returns?) a value. Expressions like (a * b) can produce a numeric (int, long, float, double) value and (a || b) can produce a boolean value. But only functions and the ternary operator can yield any type of object or primitive.

Here are two simple examples. Each creates a String s and sets its value depending on the value of x:

// Set salutation using 'if'
String s = null;
if (isFriend) { s = "Hey, " + fName; } else { s = "Hello, " + fName; }

// Set salutation using '? :'
String s = (isFriend ? "Hey, " : "Hello ") + fName;

It's called the "The Ternary Operator" because it is the only operator (in the languages that use it) that takes three operands. Perhaps it would be better to call it "Evaluative-If" or "Question-mark Colon" but I'm not campaigning to rename it today.

Functional programmers like the ternary operator because it creates a block of code that produces a value - much like a closure.

Known Good and Bad Uses

There are countless ways to write bad code, and some language features have more potential for abuse than others. Because of its brevity, the ternary operator can be a particular nightmare, especially when used with statements that rely on operator precedence:

// DO NOT DO THIS - USE PARENTHESIS!
a == b || c & d ? e ^ b : d | b

Also, the ? : is so tiny on the page that it becomes very hard to see when used with lengthy (multi-line) operands. It's designed for short things that generally fit on one line and produce a value.

I have yet to find a significant timing difference between ?: and if/else statements, so we can rule out performance as a reason to choose one syntax over the other.

There was a discussion about the ternary operator on StackExchange recently and one person provided a great example of how NOT to use the ternary operator:

// Nesting the ternary operator is EVIL - DO NOT DO THIS!
int median1(int a, int b, int c) {
    return
        (a < b)
        ?
            (b < c)
            ? b
            :
                (a < c)
                ? c
                : a
        :
            (a < c)
            ? a
            :
                (b < c)
                ? c
                : b;
}

Nesting the ternary operator (? ? : :) is always evil because it's not clear which question-mark goes with which colon. But chaining (? : ? : ? :) with proper indentation and short blocks of code can be very clear. Note: the examples below take advantage of the short-circuiting nature of return statements to remove the else clause for brevity:

// With one 'if' to remove the nesting
int median2(int a, int b, int c) {
  if (a < b) {
    return (b < c) ? b :
           (a < c) ? c : a
  }
  return (a < c) ? a :
         (b < c) ? c : b;
}

I find that easier to read than using if statements:

// All 'if' statements
int median3(int a, int b, int c) {
  if (a < b) {
    if (b < c) { return b; }
    if (a < c) { return c; }
    return a;
  }
  if (a < c) { return a; }
  if (b < c) { return c; }
  return b;
}

In Java, you can call a super-class constructor from a sub-class constructor only in the first line of that sub-class constructor, before any other methods are called. The ternary operator is the only way to change your input data before passing it to the super-class constructor.

public class MyClass extends MySuperclass {
  public MyClass(int a) {
    super(a > 0 ? true : false);
    ...
  }

Anywhere that a value is needed from a very short calculation, the ternary operator can be useful. Especially for preventing NullPointerExceptions:

out.print(name == null ? "" : name);

Conclusion

While the ternary operator has potential for misuse (particularly when nested, poorly indented, covering large blocks of code, or where operator precedence is critical), it also has potential for some good as shown above. Just be careful to use it only for good, ideally in situations that take advantage of it's evaluative nature. Many thanks to Programmers.stackexchange.com for inspiration for this post.