Question

How would I convert the following code to use the ?: operator.. Is it Possible?

tbtotalamount.Text = string.Format("{0:n2}", dtl.Compute("sum(NetPay)", ""));
if (tbtotalamount.Text.Length == 0)
{
    tbtotalamount.Text = "0";
}

Answer 1

The quoted code wouldn’t benefit from using the ? : operator, which is called the conditional operator (sometimes called “the ternary operator” although technically, it’s only a ternary operator — e.g., an operator that has three operands).

Typically the conditional operator is handy for when you have a variable and want to assign one of two values to it on the basis of a condition. So code in this form:

if (someCondition) {
    a = "one value";
}
else {
    a = "a different value";
}

can be rewritten

a = someCondition ? "one value" : "a different value";

In your case, though, you don’t know that tbtotalamount.Text is blank until after you’ve done the string.Format, so you’re better off leaving it with the if.