Conditional Operator in C

Introduction to the Conditional Operator in C

In the C programming language, the conditional operator, also known as the ternary operator, provides a concise way to write conditional statements. It allows you to evaluate a condition and choose one of two expressions based on the result of the evaluation.

Syntax of the Conditional Operator

The syntax of the conditional operator is as follows:

condition ? expression1 : expression2

The condition is evaluated first. If the condition is true, then expression1 is executed. If the condition is false, then expression2 is executed.

Examples of Using the Conditional Operator

Let’s look at some examples to understand how the conditional operator works:

Example 1: Checking Even or Odd

Suppose we want to check whether a given number is even or odd. We can use the conditional operator to achieve this:

#include 

int main() {
    int num;

    printf("Enter a number: ");
    scanf("%d", #);

    num % 2 == 0 ? printf("Even") : printf("Odd");

    return 0;
}

In this example, we use the conditional operator to check if the remainder of the division of the input number by 2 is 0. If it is, we print “Even”; otherwise, we print “Odd”.

Example 2: Finding the Maximum of Two Numbers

Let’s say we have two numbers, num1 and num2, and we want to find the maximum of the two. We can use the conditional operator to accomplish this:

#include 

int main() {
    int num1, num2, max;

    printf("Enter the first number: ");
    scanf("%d", &num1);

    printf("Enter the second number: ");
    scanf("%d", &num2);

    max = num1 > num2 ? num1 : num2;

    printf("The maximum number is: %d", max);

    return 0;
}

In this example, we compare the values of num1 and num2 using the conditional operator. If num1 is greater than num2, we assign the value of num1 to the variable max. Otherwise, we assign the value of num2 to max.

Example 3: Checking Pass or Fail

Let’s consider a scenario where a student’s grade is determined based on their marks. If the marks are greater than or equal to 40, the student passes; otherwise, they fail. We can use the conditional operator to determine the pass or fail status:

#include 

int main() {
    int marks;

    printf("Enter the marks: ");
    scanf("%d", &marks);

    marks >= 40 ? printf("Pass") : printf("Fail");

    return 0;
}

In this example, we use the conditional operator to check if the value of marks is greater than or equal to 40. If it is, we print “Pass”; otherwise, we print “Fail”.

Benefits of Using the Conditional Operator

The conditional operator offers several benefits:

• Concise code: It allows you to write conditional statements in a compact and readable manner.
• Reduced lines of code: By using the conditional operator, you can achieve the same result with fewer lines of code compared to traditional if-else statements.
• Improved code readability: The use of the conditional operator can make your code more readable and easier to understand.

Conclusion

The conditional operator in C provides a convenient way to write conditional statements. It allows you to choose between two expressions based on the result of a condition. By using the conditional operator, you can write concise and readable code while reducing the number of lines in your program. It is a valuable tool for making your code more efficient and easier to understand.