ternary operator?

[jots]

Are there plans to allow the use of the ternary operator in coffee-script?
I'm converting some code that uses it a lot.
Also, will "===" be allowed in the future? right now i convert them to "==" which coffee script converts back to "===".

[jashkenas]

I use the ternary operator a lot too, and CoffeeScript uses it whenever possible (because it's already an expression). There's no special syntax for it in CoffeeScript, just this:

lunch: if wednesday then spaghetti else lasagna

Compiles into:

var lunch;
lunch = wednesday ? spaghetti : lasagna;

I realize its slightly longer, but less cryptic, I hope. If you want to break it up, this will compile in to the exact same JavaScript ternary:

lunch: if wednesday
  spaghetti
else
  lasagna

As to the triple equals, there is not going to ever be a == in CoffeeScript. You can use == for triple equals (like what it means in most languages), or you can use is, and isnt.

[jots]

Thanks Jeremy, that works fine, i didn't know about that syntax. however if you ever decide to allow a straight ternary syntax, you'll have my vote :-)

[ukslim]

It's a real gotcha in my opinion because a C/Java/JS style ternary doesn't cause the compiler to complain, but gives unexpected results.

alert 5 > 4 ? "bigger" : "not bigger" # alerts "true"

[mcanes]

alert(5 > 4 ? "bigger" : "not bigger") # alerts "bigger"

[ukslim]

@mcanes Where are you trying this? Both my local CoffeeScript install, and the 'Try CoffeeScript' page, alert 'true' with that code. Both with and without your parentheses.

[michaelficarra]

@ukslim: this issue is more than a year and a half old and long settled. If you have a question, please open a new issue, ask it on IRC, or ask it in the google group.

[mcanes]

@ukslim On the 'Try CoffeeScript' page using chrome and Firefox

This is the coffee script code

alert( if 5 > 4 then "bigger" else "not bigger")

and the generated js

alert(5 > 4 ? "bigger" : "not bigger");