# Syntaxe javascript

**URL:** <https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [August 24, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843 "2016-08-24T17:12:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![xavierartot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/xavierartot/32/160720_2.png) [@xavierartot](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/xavierartot)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843/1 "2016-08-24T17:12:59Z")

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I saw a lot of code like this:  
It’s test ternaire I know that.  
But first the test don’t have parenteses(why not), but then the sign = assign a variable then compare it?  
Can you explain better?  
`counts[item] = counts[item] >= 1 ? counts[item] + 1 : 1;`

**EDIT**  
It’a possible this is similar ?  
var cts = counts[item] = counts[item];  
(cts \>= 1) ? counts[item] + 1 : 1;

**EDIT 2**  
it’a more:  
`counts[item] = (counts[item] >= 1) ? counts[item] + 1 : 1;`  
It’s messy without the parenteses ☹  
I hate when I saw a code like this and uncomment…  
I was reading left to right and break on this.

Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BenGitter](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/bengitter/32/12192_2.png) [@BenGitter](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/BenGitter)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843/2 "2016-08-24T17:15:58Z")

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> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6259982/how-do-you-use-the-conditional-operator-in-javascript>

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**Author:** ![jenovs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/jenovs/32/60963_2.png) [@jenovs](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/jenovs)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843/3 "2016-08-24T17:16:16Z")

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It is called [Conditional (ternary) Operator](https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Conditional_Operator).

It is a shorter way to write `if ... else` statements.

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**Author:** ![xavierartot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/xavierartot/32/160720_2.png) [@xavierartot](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/xavierartot)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843/4 "2016-08-24T17:17:05Z")

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I know is a ternary operator, but my question is not this.  
we have an assignment in the code i gave.  
Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Naqin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/naqin/32/12089_2.png) [@Naqin](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/Naqin)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843/5 "2016-08-24T17:26:47Z")

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Best to read it like this:  
`counts[item] = (counts[item] >= 1 ? counts[item] + 1 : 1);`

It checks if counts[item] is bigger than or equal to 1. If it is, increment counts[item] by 1. If it isn’t, set counts[item] to 1.  
You could also write it like this:

```auto
if (counts[item] >= 1) {
    counts[item] += 1;
} else {
    counts[item] = 1;
}

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xavierartot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/xavierartot/32/160720_2.png) [@xavierartot](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/xavierartot)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843/6 "2016-08-24T17:28:53Z")

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yeah, I need parentheses 🙂  
It’s only possible in javascript without parenteses, Java or PHP that’s doesn’t work ?

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**Author:** ![jwilkins.oboe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/freecodecamp/user_avatar/forum.freecodecamp.org/jwilkins.oboe/32/179497_2.png) [@jwilkins.oboe](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/u/jwilkins.oboe)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 5:29am UTC](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/syntaxe-javascript/30843/7 "2021-01-16T05:29:02Z")

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Closed on January 16, 2021, 5:29am UTC