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Java Ternary Operator - GeeksforGeeks

Last Updated : 12 Jul, 2025

Operators constitute the basic building block of any programming language. Java provides many types of operators that can be used according to the need to perform various calculations and functions, be it logical, arithmetic, relational, etc. They are classified based on the functionality they provide. This article explains all that one needs to know regarding Java Ternary Operators. 

Java ternary operator is the only conditional operator that takes three operands. It’s a one-liner replacement for the if-then-else statement and is used a lot in Java programming. We can use the ternary operator in place of if-else conditions or even switch conditions using nested ternary operators. Although it follows the same algorithm as of if-else statement, the conditional operator takes less space and helps to write the if-else statements in the shortest way possible.

Note: Ternary Operator improves the code readability, but for complex logic, a standard if-else statement might be better.

variable = Expression1 ? Expression2: Expression3

Note:

• If Expression1 is true, Expression2 is executed
• If Expression1 is false, Expression3 is executed.

If operates similarly to that of the if-else statement as in Exression2 is executed if Expression1 is true else Expression3 is executed.  

if(Expression1)

{

variable = Expression2;

}

else

{

variable = Expression3;

}

Example: This example demonstrates the use of ternary operator to choose between two operations based on a condition.

num1 = 10;

num2 = 20;

res=(num1>num2) ? (num1+num2):(num1-num2)

Since num1<num2,

the second operation is performed

res = num1-num2 = -10

The diagram below demonstrates the flow chart of ternary operation:

Explanation:

• Expression1: The condition is evaluated first (for example, x > 5).
• Checks True/False: If the condition is True, it executes Expression2, if False, it runs Expression3.
• Returns a Result: The output of either Expression2 or Expression3 becomes the resultant value.
• Stores the Value: The final result is assigned to a variable (for example, result = (x > 5) ? "Pass" : "Fail").

Example 1: This example, demonstrates how to find the largest of two numbers using ternary operator.

// Java program to find largest among two
// numbers using ternary operator
import java.io.*;

class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // variable declaration
        int n1 = 5, n2 = 10, max;

        System.out.println("First num: " + n1);
        System.out.println("Second num: " + n2);

        // Largest among n1 and n2
        max = (n1 > n2) ? n1 : n2;

        // Print the largest number
        System.out.println("Maximum is = " + max);
    }
}

First num: 5
Second num: 10
Maximum is = 10

• Time Complexity: O(1)
• Auxiliary Space: O(1)

Example 2: This example demonstrates how to perform arithmetic operations based on the conditions using ternary operator.

// Java program to perform arithmetic 
// operation using ternary operator
import java.io.*;

class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {

        // variable declaration
        int n1 = 5, n2 = 10, res;

        System.out.println("First num: " + n1);
        System.out.println("Second num: " + n2);

        // Performing ternary operation
        res = (n1 > n2) ? (n1 + n2) : (n1 - n2);

        // Print the largest number
        System.out.println("Result = " + res);
    }
}

First num: 5
Second num: 10
Result = -5

• Time Complexity: O(1)
• Auxiliary Space: O(1)

Example 3: This example demonstrates how to use ternary operator to assign a value based on a boolean condition.

// Java Program to assign a string 
// based on a boolean condition
public class Geeks {
    
    // main function
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        boolean condition = true;
        String result = (condition) ? "True" : "False";
      
        System.out.println(result);
    }
}

• Time Complexity: O(1)
• Auxiliary Space: O(1)

Explanation: In this program, a Boolean variable condition is declared and assigned the value true. Then, the ternary operator is used to determine the value of the result string. If the condition is true, the value of result will be "True", otherwise it will be "False". Finally, the value of result is printed to the console.

The advantages of ternary operator are listed below:

• Compactness: The ternary operator allows you to write simple if-else statements in a much more concise way, making the code easier to read and maintain.
• Improved readability: When used correctly, the ternary operator can make the code more readable by making it easier to understand the intent behind the code.
• Increased performance: Since the ternary operator evaluates a single expression instead of executing an entire block of code, it can be faster than an equivalent if-else statement.
• Simplification of nested if-else statements: The ternary operator can simplify complex logic by providing a clean and concise way to perform conditional assignments.
• Easy to debug: If a problem occurs with the code, the ternary operator can make it easier to identify the cause of the problem because it reduces the amount of code that needs to be examined.

It's worth noting that the ternary operator is not a replacement for all if-else statements. For complex conditions or logic, it's usually better to use an if-else statement to avoid making the code more difficult to understand.

Java Ternary Operator with Examples

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