Quick Fix: Use the ternary operator ?:
to write an inline if-else
statement.
For example:
echo ($requestVars->_name == '') ? $redText : '';
This is equivalent to:
if ($requestVars->_name == '') {
echo $redText;
} else {
echo '';
}
The Problem:
In PHP, writing a concise one-line if statement similar to JavaScript’s var foo = true; foo && doSomething();
is not straightforward. This problem arises when you want to conditionally add a class to an HTML element, keeping the embedded PHP minimal for readability.
The Solutions:
Solution 1: Utilize Ternary Operator ?:
To simplify the if statement within the HTML, use the ternary operator (?:). The syntax is as follows:
(condition) ? (true_value) : (false_value);
In your specific case, you can rewrite the code as:
<label class="<?php echo ($requestVars->_name == '') ? $redText : ''; ?>labellong">_name*</label>
<input name="_name" value="<?php echo $requestVars->_name; ?>" />
This accomplishes the same as the original if statement, but with a cleaner and more concise syntax.
Solution 2: Ternary operator logic
Ternary operator logic is the process of using (condition)? (true return value) : (false return value)
statements to shorten your if/else structures. i.e
/* most basic usage */ $var = 5; $var_is_greater_than_two = ($var > 2 ? true : false); // returns true
Solution 3: One line if statement in PHP
You can use the ternary operator to write a one-line if statement in PHP. The syntax is as follows:
condition ? value1 : value2
If the condition is true, value1 will be returned; otherwise, value2 will be returned.
For example, the following code will output "greater" if the $var variable is greater than 2, and "smaller" otherwise:
($var > 2 ? echo "greater" : echo "smaller")
Solution 4: Using Ternary Operator
In PHP, PHP’s ternary operator, which was introduced in PHP 5.3, can be used for a one-line if statement. The syntax is:
$value = $condition ? $if_true : $if_false;
For example:
$message = 'Hello ' . ($user->is_logged_in() ? $user->get('first_name') : 'Guest');
The equivalent if statement would be:
if ($user->is_logged_in()) { $message = 'Hello ' . $user->get('first_name'); } else { $message = 'Hello Guest'; }
Solution 5: Minimalist PHP text output and ternary operator
PHP provides a minimalistic text output syntax that allows you to embed PHP code within HTML directly:
HTML stuff <?php echo $some_string; ?> HTML stuff
This works identically to using <?php echo $some_string; ?>
.
Additionally, PHP features a ternary operator that allows conditional statements to be written in a more concise way:
(condition) ? (do_something_when_true) : (do_something_when_false);
In your specific case, you can rewrite your code as follows:
<label class="<?php ($requestVars->_name=='') ? $redText : ''; ?>">_name*</label>
<input name="_name" value="<?php echo $requestVars->_name; ?>"/>