Python variable condition like php

Question

I ask if I can to use a variable condition on PYTHON like PHP :

<?php $var = (5 = 5) ? true : false; ?>

I hope you mean `$var = (5 == 5) ? true : false;` rather than `$var = (5 = 5) ? true : false;` — Mark Baker, Jul 15 '13 at 10:49
Why would you do that in PHP? Doesn't `$var = true` (or `$var === true` if that's the intent here...) work just as well? — Wooble, Jul 15 '13 at 10:52
@Wooble `==` is a comparison operator; `=` is an assignment operator. `5 = 5` should give an error in PHP because you can't assign a value to a value, only to a variable — Mark Baker, Jul 15 '13 at 11:18

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 15 '13 at 10:48

2

Just assign the result of the boolean test in your case:

var = 5 == 5  # assigns `True`

Otherwise you are looking for a conditional expression:

var = 'bar' if foo == 5 else 'spam'

answered Jul 15 '13 at 10:48

Martijn Pieters

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 15 '13 at 10:48

1

There's a conditional expression (also known as the ternary operator) in python, if that's what you mean:

me = 5 if a == b else c

answered Jul 15 '13 at 10:48

TerryA

It is called the 'conditional expression'. *Ternary* just refers to the number of operators the expression takes, just like `or` is a binary expression operator. – Martijn Pieters Jul 15 '13 at 10:49
@MartijnPieters Added just as you commented ;) – TerryA Jul 15 '13 at 10:49
Like [Jon Skeet](https://twitter.com/jonskeet/status/352771042122547200) I also dislike the term 'ternary operator'. – Martijn Pieters Jul 15 '13 at 10:52
@MartijnPieters Lol :p – TerryA Jul 15 '13 at 10:52

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 15 '13 at 10:50

I guess you mean:

$var = (5 == 5) ? true : false

In Python (2.5 up) this can be written as:

b if a else c

"First a is evaluated, then either b or c is returned based on the truth value of a; if a evaluates to true b is returned, else c is returned." http://northisup.com/blog/the-ternary-operator-in-python/

3 Answers3