why won't this compile

[joet1984]

I saw this challenge on another thread that has been closed and I'm a java beginner so I decided to try it. It's extremely ugly code but that is the point here to try to get this to work using the ? : operator. This is what I came up with and it doesn't compile anyone know why? (sorry that its a huge pain to read ;])

import java.lang.*;

class Test{
	public static void main (String args[]){
		String variable1 = args[0];
		String variable2 = args[1];
		String variable3 = args[2];

		variable1.compareTo(variable2) ? (variable2.compareTo(variable3) ?
		System.out.println("all values equal") : System.out.println("2nd and 3rd not equal")) :
		processData();
	}

	public void processData(){
		System.out.println("1st and 2nd not equal");
	}
}

[joet1984]

And sorry about the misleading processData() method name forgot to change it

[pbrockway2]

it doesn't compile anyone know why?

Almost certainly because of compiler errors. Perhaps you could say what they are.

-----

You are quite correct about the code being ugly. So the correct answer is "don't write code like this". But if you want to persue it you will, sooner or later, have to look up exactly what it is that the ?: operator does. Hint: it does not create if-else statements.

[DarrylBurke]

... and even if it did (which it doesn't, as already said), an if statement requires a boolean expression.

db

[Eranga]

... that is how you should use the ternary operator.

result = someCondition ? value1 : value2;