CODEWITHSUNDEEP
java
Looneyviticus
Looneyviticus

Reputation: 97

In Java What Does This Mean "length >= 0 ? length : length * -1"

I am learning Java and have a simple question.

In an example of setting a class I see this: 

length >= 0 ? length : length * -1

What does it mean?

Thanks.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 532

Answers (5)

frostcake
frostcake

Reputation: 105

this is Java ternary operator, it means 

if(length>=0) {
     length = length;
} else {
     length = length * (-1);
}

Upvotes: 1

Evan Williams
Evan Williams

Reputation: 406

This is a ternary expression. If the value before the question mark is true, the expression equals the first value after the question mark (length). If the value before the question mark is false, the expression equals the value after the colon (length * -1).

Upvotes: 2

Akash Thakare
Akash Thakare

Reputation: 22972

This is ternary operator in java.

ifTrue ? thanThis : otherwiseThis

Upvotes: 2

Elliott Frisch
Elliott Frisch

Reputation: 201439

That is a hackish way of writing Math.abs(length). It calculates the absolute value of the length by using the Conditional Operation ?: (per the JLS)

The conditional operator ? : uses the boolean value of one expression to decide which of two other expressions should be evaluated.

Upvotes: 3

Kon
Kon

Reputation: 10810

The ? is the Java ternary operator. See http://alvinalexander.com/java/edu/pj/pj010018

Essentially it has form:

[condition] ? [execute if true] : [execute if false]

Upvotes: 2

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