ternary - Is there PHP shorthand for testing variable value for multiple conditions without using in

Hey everyone,

So I've been working with PHP and I'm wondering if there's a shorthand way to test a variable value for multiple conditions without using the `in_array` function.

I know that with `in_array` I can check if a variable matches any value in an array, but I'm looking for a more concise way to handle multiple conditions without using an array.

For example, let's say I have a variable `$fruit` and I want to check if it's equal to 'apple', 'banana', or 'orange'. Normally, I would do something like this:

```
if ($fruit == 'apple' || $fruit == 'banana' || $fruit == 'orange') {
// do something
}
```

But I'm wondering if there's a shorter way to achieve the same result using a ternary operator or any other shorthand technique. I'm open to any suggestions or examples you might have.

Thanks in advance for your help!

All Replies

rheller

July 07 2023 at 01:23 PM

Hey there,

In my experience with PHP, I've found a handy shorthand approach to test a variable value for multiple conditions without using `in_array`. Instead, you can utilize the `match` expression, which was introduced in PHP 8.

Using `match`, you can simplify your code by eliminating the need for multiple `==` comparisons. Here's how you can achieve the same result using `match`:

php
$fruit = 'apple'; // or any other value you want to check



$result = match($fruit) {

  'apple', 'banana', 'orange' => 'Match found!', // Perform your desired action here

  default => 'No match found!'

};



echo $result;

The `match` expression allows you to specify multiple conditions separated by commas. If the tested variable (`$fruit` in this case) matches any of the given values, the corresponding expression block will be executed.

Keep in mind that the `match` expression is only available in PHP 8 and later versions, so make sure you're using a compatible PHP version if you decide to go with this approach.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

Helpful (7)

jmaggio

July 02 2023 at 05:43 PM

Hey everyone,

I wanted to chime in with another approach that you can consider for testing variable values against multiple conditions without using `in_array`. In situations like this, I often leverage the `strpos` or `stripos` functions to achieve a similar outcome.

Instead of checking for equality, you can use the `strpos` function to check if the variable's value contains a specific substring. Here's an example:

php
$fruit = 'apple'; // or any other value you want to check



if (strpos('apple,banana,orange', $fruit) !== false) {

  // Match found! Perform your desired action here

}

By passing the comma-separated list of values as the haystack parameter and the variable value as the needle parameter, the `strpos` function returns the position of the first occurrence of the needle within the haystack. If it returns `false`, it means there's no match.

Note that I'm using the strict inequality `!==` to not only check for the position but also the type. This ensures that a match is only identified when the variable value is present in the list.

Remember that the `strpos` function is case-sensitive. If you want a case-insensitive check, you can use the `stripos` function instead.

I hope this alternative method helps! Feel free to ask if you have any further questions or concerns.

Helpful (5)

ternary - Is there PHP shorthand for testing variable value for multiple conditions without using in_array?

All Replies

More Topics Related to PHP

More Topics Related to Array

More Topics Related to Variable

Popular Tags

New to LearnPHP.org Community?