what is this code doing?

[dotolee]

Hi there.  I'm a newbie to PHP.  I've run across a line of code that I don't quite understand.  Hopefully this is a remedial question.

 

Here's the line of code:

$mymess = isset($_GET['ms'])?$_GET['ms']:false;

 

it looks it's trying to get a string from the querystring / URL called "ms" and save it to a new variable called mymess IF it's not null.  But i don't quite get the "second" part of the line from the "?" on.  Does it save a "false" value to the mymess if isset is false?  I'm using the PHP manual i downloaded from the php site but I haven't been able to find the answer ..

thanks.

 

[phpSensei]

This is no different than saying

 

<?php

$mymess = false;
if(isset($_GET['ms'])){

$mymess = $_GET['ms'];

}
?>

 

Its called the Ternary Operator

 

http://php.net/manual/en/language.operators.comparison.php

 

The URL isn't called MS... MS is a variable in the HTTP URL.

 

for example

 

http://www.website.com/index.php?ms=somevalue

 

 

[dotolee]

Hey!  Thank you very much for the quick reply. 

So basically, it sounds like the "second" part of the line of code is just initializing the variable to false to start.

Thanks for the example of the "ms" variable.  That part I do understand - I guess I just didn't use the right lingo.  but i do understand that it's a var saved /passed in the querystring.

 

Thanks again.

[dotolee]

oh.. one other question... so is it the "?" embedded in the middle that separates these two lines of code?

what is this "?" called?

i'd like to do some more reading on it if possible.

 

thanks.

[phpSensei]

Np,

 

The "?" is part of the Ternary FORMAT, that's the format that must be used in order to do such an operator.

 

Just follow this format. Its saying, if the name == Chris, then make the value of $someVar $name, otherwise set the value Chris.

 

$name = "Chris";
$someVar = ($name == "Chris") ? $name : "Chris";

 

this equals to

 

$name = "Chris";
$someVar = "";
if($name == "Chris"){

$someVar = $name;

}else{

$someVar = "Chris";

}

 

To learn more about the Ternary operator use the link I provided in my post above.

 

Please Mark Topic As Solved. Thank You

[voip03]

phpSensei  Thank U

 

http://www.addedbytes.com/lab/ternary-conditionals/