Just need to understand a PHP Syntax used to set POSTed var

Question

So I'm using the following php code to set variables that are received from a POST method, but I'm interested in how it works.

$var1 = isset($_REQUEST['var1']) ? $_REQUEST['var1'] : 'default';

I understand what it does, but I don't understand the syntax.

Thanks for the help :)

`$_REQUEST('var1')` should be `$_REQUEST['var1']`, shouldn't it? — deceze, Apr 03 '12 at 09:09
possible duplicate of [What is ?: in PHP 5.3?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2153180/what-is-in-php-5-3) and [many others](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3737139/reference-what-does-this-symbol-mean-in-php). Please use the PHP tag wiki before asking questions about symbols in PHP. — Quentin, Apr 03 '12 at 09:09
Actually what you are typing is not setting a variable from $_POST, but from a requested variable on the site. $_REQUEST is just checking if the variable is from $_GET or $_POST as mentioned above. But what you do is wrong, because if there is a $_GET variable set with the same name, it will get you the $_GET variable instead. Use pure $_POST for that. — Panagiotis, Apr 03 '12 at 09:10
@deceze and Panagiotis yes you're both right because $_REQUEST is an associative **array** that by default contains the contents of $_GET, $_POST and $_COOKIE. — noob, Apr 03 '12 at 09:13

score 5 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:07

5

? is just a short and optimised notation of doing this:

if (isset($_REQUEST["var1"])) // If the element "var1" exists in the $_REQUEST array
   $var1 = $_REQUEST["var1"]; // take the value of it
else
   $var1 = "default"; // if it doesn't exist, use a default value

Note that you might want to use the $_POST array instead of the $_REQUEST array.

answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:07

huysentruitw

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Thanks for the answer... I'd vote it up but I don't have enough reputation points :) – Shane E. Bryan Apr 03 '12 at 09:25

cloakedninjas · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-03T09:19:28.057

3

This is a short hand IF statement and from that you are assigning a value to $var1

The syntax is :

$var = (CONDITION) ? (VALUE IF TRUE) : (VALUE IF FALSE);

edited Apr 03 '12 at 09:19

answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:09

cloakedninjas

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Thanks for the answer :) – Shane E. Bryan Apr 03 '12 at 09:26

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:10

3

You probably mean ternary operator

Syntax it's same like

if(isset($_REQUEST('var1') ) {
    $var1 = ? $_REQUEST('var1')
}else {
    $var1 =: 'default';
}

answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:10

rkosegi

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Sebastian Schmidt · Answer 4 · 2012-04-03T09:14:14.173

2

It's the synatx of the ternary operator. It's shorthand for if/else. Please read PHP Manaul

edited Apr 03 '12 at 09:14

answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:08

Sebastian Schmidt

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:09

This is a 'ternary operator', what it says is:-

If var1 is set as a post variable then set var1 to that value, otherwise setvar1 to be the string 'default'. Using traditional syntax it would be:-

if (isset($_REQUEST('var1')) { $var1 = $_REQUEST('var1'); } else { $var1 = 'default'; }

score -1 · Answer 6 · answered Apr 03 '12 at 09:10

its a short way of doing an if. if you are expecting a post variable its must better to use _POST rather than request.

the "?" says if the isset($_REQUEST) is true, then do the everything between the ? and : otherwise do everything between the : and the ;

Just need to understand a PHP Syntax used to set POSTed var

6 Answers6