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What is the ternary operator?

A one-line conditional expression that returns a value: condition ? a : b.

  • Expression — can be assigned or embedded, unlike if.

  • Keep it simple — avoid nesting ternaries.

Ideal for short value choices; use if/else for complex branching.

const age = 20;
const status = age >= 18 ? 'adult' : 'minor';

// In template literals
const msg = `You are ${age >= 18 ? 'an adult' : 'a minor'}`;

// Nested (avoid — hard to read)
const grade = score >= 90 ? 'A' : score >= 80 ? 'B' : score >= 70 ? 'C' : 'F';

// Prefer if/else or object lookup for complex conditions
const grades = { 90: 'A', 80: 'B', 70: 'C' };

condition ? true : false replaces simple if/else. Clean for assignments and inline expressions.

Nested ternaries should use if/else or lookup tables instead.

Simple but know when NOT to use it: nested ternaries are unreadable. Object lookups for multiple conditions.

Most common use: const x = condition ? a : b.

What is the ternary operator? | Hiprup