What is the Java ?: operator called and what does it do?

In Java, the ?: operator is known as the ternary operator or conditional operator. It’s a shorthand way of writing an if-else statement in a single line, making your code more concise and readable.

The general syntax looks like this:

  condition ? expressionIfTrue : expressionIfFalse;

Here’s how it works:

• Condition: A boolean expression that evaluates to either true or false.
  
• expressionIfTrue: The value or expression returned if the condition is true.
  
• expressionIfFalse: The value or expression returned if the condition is false.
  

Example:

int age = 20;

String result = (age >= 18) ? "Adult" : "Minor";

System.out.println(result); // Output: Adult

Advantages of the ternary operator:

• Conciseness: Helps reduce multiple lines of if-else into a single line.
  
• Inline usage: Useful when assigning a value based on a condition.
  
• Readability: Makes simple conditional logic easier to understand.
  

Limitations:

• Not suitable for complex logic, as nesting ternary operators can make code confusing.
  
• Should only be used when both possible outcomes return values of compatible types.
  

 Best Practice: Use the ternary operator for simple, short conditions like assignments or return statements. For more complex logic, stick to regular if-else blocks for better readability.

In short, the Java ?: operator (ternary operator) is a compact way to express conditional logic, helping write cleaner and more efficient code.