Colon replacing brackets help

[MDanz]

I've always used brackets but now switching to WordPress alot of the code doesn't use brackets in if statements and loops.

<?php
while (have_posts()) : the_post();
the_content();
endwhile;
?>

How does this look with brackets?

 

Also i see alot of question marks, i know question marks and colons are another way of coding, for example

if($one == $two) {
$yes = 1;
} else {
$yes = 2 ;
}

Any help to get me to understand this

[TOA]

Colons are just an alternate syntax : http://php.net/manual/en/control-structures.alternative-syntax.php

 

The '? :' combo is called ternary operator and is essentially an inline if statement: http://php.net/manual/en/language.operators.comparison.php