The ternary operator, also known as the conditional operator, is a shorthand way of writing an if-else statement in Java. It consists of a boolean expression followed by a question mark (?), followed by an expression to execute if the boolean expression is true, followed by a colon (:), followed by an expression to execute if the boolean expression is false.
Ternary operator example
An example of how to use the ternary operator is given below:
int x = 10;
int y = 20;
int max = (x > y) ? x : y;
In this example, the boolean expression (x > y) is evaluated. If it is true, then x is assigned to max. If it is false, then y is assigned to max.
One advantage of using the ternary operator is that it can help us to make code more concise and easier to read. Instead of writing out a full if-else statement, we can use the ternary operator to achieve the same result in a single line of code.
However, it is important to use the ternary operator sparingly, as it can become confusing if overused. It is generally best to use the full if-else statement for more complex conditional logic.
Conclusion
The ternary operator is a useful tool for writing concise conditional statements in Java. It can help us to make code more readable and easier to understand.