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Re: Trinary Operator Semanticsby pfaut (Priest) |
on May 26, 2005 at 19:39 UTC ( [id://460838]=note: print w/replies, xml ) | Need Help?? |
I just compiled your code on a VAX (VMS) both with and without optimization enabled. In each case, both routines generated identical code. To me, the ternary operator is most useful when used in a function call argument list or other complex expression where one element needs to change based on some condition. These become much easier and concise to express with a ternary operator than with two separate statements within an if/else construct. Contrived example:
...or...
What it boils down to is that the ternary operator presents an expression and can be used anywhere an expression can be used. if/else is a (compound) statement and is much more restrictive about where it can be used. The trinary function is handling the variable between registers, whereas ifelse is using a memory location. This is another boost to the trinary operator. Doesn't the $1 notation mean that the value 1 is encoded in the instruction itself (immediate value)? You seem to imply that it is referencing a variable somewhere else in memory.
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