Programming
python operators conditional-operator
Updated Fri, 20 May 2022 22:25:10 GMT

Does Python have a ternary conditional operator?


If Python doesn't have a ternary conditional operator, is it possible to use other language constructs to simulate one?

Solution

Yes, It was added in version 2.5. The expression syntax is:

a if condition else b

First condition is evaluated, then exactly one of either a or b is evaluated and returned based on the Boolean value of condition. If condition evaluates to True, then a is evaluated and returned but b is ignored, or else when b is evaluated and returned but a is ignored.

This allows short-circuiting because when condition is true only a is evaluated and b is not evaluated at all, but when condition is false only b is evaluated, and a is not evaluated at all.

For example:

>>> 'true' if True else 'false'
'true'
>>> 'true' if False else 'false'
'false'

Note that conditionals are an expression, not a statement. This means you can't use assignment statements or pass or other statements within a conditional expression:

>>> pass if False else x = 3
  File "<stdin>", line 1
    pass if False else x = 3
          ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

You can, however, use conditional expressions to assign a variable like so:

x = a if True else b

Think of the conditional expression as switching between two values. It is very useful when you're in a 'one value or another' situation, but it doesn't do much else.

If you need to use statements, you have to use a normal if statement instead of a conditional expression.

Keep in mind that it's frowned upon by some Pythonistas for several reasons:

  • The order of the arguments is different from those of the classic condition ? a : b ternary operator from many other languages (such as C, C++, Go, Perl, Ruby, Java, JavaScript, etc.), which may lead to bugs when people unfamiliar with Python's "surprising" behavior use it (they may reverse the argument order).
  • Some find it "unwieldy" since it goes contrary to the normal flow of thought (thinking of the condition first and then the effects).
  • Stylistic reasons. (Although the 'inline if' can be really useful, and make your script more concise, it really does complicate your code)

If you're having trouble remembering the order, then remember that when read aloud, you (almost) say what you mean. For example, x = 4 if b > 8 else 9 is read aloud as x will be 4 if b is greater than 8 otherwise 9.

Official documentation:

Comments (5)

  • +0 – The order may seems strange for coders however f(x) = |x| = x if x > 0 else -x sounds very natural to mathematicians. You may also understand it as do A in most case, except when C then you should do B instead... — Jan 25, 2016 at 15:07  
  • +0 – Be careful with order of operations when using this. For example, the line z = 3 + x if x < y else y. If x=2 and y=1, you might expect that to yield 4, but it would actually yield 1. z = 3 + (x if x > y else y) is the correct usage. — Mar 06, 2016 at 09:23  
  • +0 – The point was if you want to perform additional evaluations after the conditional is evaluated, like adding a value to the result, you'll either need to add the additional expression to both sides (z = 3 + x if x < y else 3 + y), or group the conditional (z = 3 + (x if x < y else y) or z = (x if x < y else y) + 3) — Apr 15, 2016 at 00:36  
  • +6 – @MrGeek, I see what you mean, so you would basically be nesting the operations: ` "foo" if Bool else ("bar" if Bool else "foobar") ` — Aug 11, 2017 at 00:04  
  • +8 – Programmers need precise correct formulation even more than mathematician, because in mathematics there is always a resort to underlying concepts. A convincing argument is the % operator, mimicking the way "mod" is used in math would have been a disaster. So no, I don't accept your argument. It is like adhering to imperial units. Groetjes Albert — Jun 17, 2018 at 12:50  

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