[SOLVED] What does this code do?

[oskom]

Hello all...again,

forum helper, rab, was kind enough to provide me with some useful code:

<?php
$_REQUEST['contentID'] = (int)$_REQUEST['contentID'] < 0 ? 0 : (int)$_REQUEST['contentID'];

if( $_REQUEST['contentID'] > 0 ) {
   $result = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM content WHERE contentID = '{$_REQUEST['contentID']}'");
   if(!$result) {
      // ERROR
   }
} else {
   // Need an ID
}
?>

 

Problem is...I'm not totally clear on what the first line is doing(please forgive the novice smell). In other words, I know what this part is doing...

$_REQUEST['contentID'] = (int)$_REQUEST['contentID'] 

...but not this part...

 < 0 ? 0 : (int)$_REQUEST['contentID']

I'm thinking it's some kind of short-form if/else statement, but...

 

Enlightenment?

[btherl]

Yes it's a short and simplified form of if-then-else.  You use it where you want to use either one value or another value.  For example, if you are generating html for a checkbox that may or may not be checked

 

$checked_text = ($box_is_checked ? " CHECKED " : "");

 

Or if you want to set a number to 0 if it's less than 0

 

$num = ($num < 0 ? 0 : $num);

[oskom]

Thanks, btherl! Gotta new tool in my arsenal!