[RESOLVED] PHP version of "undefined || literal"

[jamesbcox1980]

In JavaScript, when I'm not sure if a variable is defined, I can say

alert(myVar || "Something else")

If the variable is undefined, it will obviously return "Something else".

In PHP, I have been using isset() and the ternary operator (?

echo isset($myVar) ? myVar : 'Something else'; 

This seems kind of redundant, and I was hoping there was something similar in PHP.

[jamesbcox1980]

I guess maybe what I should be looking at is how to declare undefined in PHP. I forgot that I usually insert "var undefined;" in my JS template to make this work. I guess I need to do the same in PHP... but declaring variables is a little different.

[NogDog]

Offhand I don't know of a terser way than the tenary operator for this sort of thing.

As far as "defining" a variable as undefined, you can set it to null, which isset() will treat as not set.

var_dump(isset($var)); // false
$var = null;
var_dump(isset($var)); // false
$var = false;
var_dump(isset($var)); // true 

[jamesbcox1980]

Well, I'm not looking to define a variable as undefined, I'm trying to set undefined to null by declaring it.

In JavaScript,

var undefined;

takes a reserved word, undefined, and defines it, so that whenever a variable is undefined and gets called, it will return "undefined" instead of throwing an undefined variable error. This way, you can use the "||" operator instead of using the whole typeof() thing. It's not a strict standards compliant method, but it works and makes for easier error handling. Even jQuery uses it.

[NogDog]

Nope, nothing like that in PHP that I've ever seen.

[Mindzai]

what happens when myVar is false? Or some other correct value which evaluates false?

[Kor]

The PHP's Boolean operators always return a Boolean value... as opposed to other languages that return the value of the last evaluated expression.

But you may do something tricky like:

$echo=$myVar or $echo="something else";
echo "$echo"; 

It will work with a notable exception: when $myVar=0. In this case the assignment $echo=$myVar is evaluated as Boolean false.

Or you may simplify the ternary operator like this:

echo ($myVar?$myVar:"something else"); 

But, again, $myVar can have any value except 0, because 0 is evaluated as Boolean false.

[Mindzai]

But, again, $myVar can have any value except 0...

or "", or "0", or an empty array, or null etc. This technique seems dodgy enough in javascript! Just use isset() to see if a variable has been defined.

[Kor]

or "", or "0", or an empty array, or null etc. This technique seems dodgy enough in javascript! Just use isset() to see if a variable has been defined.

I agree. So, jamesbcox1980, the answer is no. As I said, php always return a Boolean value on Boolean operators.

[jamesbcox1980]

Ok, thanks guys