This version is still in development and is not considered stable yet. For the latest stable version, please use Spring Framework 6.0.26!

Ternary Operator (If-Then-Else)

You can use the ternary operator for performing if-then-else conditional logic inside the expression. The following listing shows a minimal example:

  • Java

  • Kotlin

String falseString = parser.parseExpression(
		"false ? 'trueExp' : 'falseExp'").getValue(String.class);
val falseString = parser.parseExpression(
		"false ? 'trueExp' : 'falseExp'").getValue(String::class.java)

In this case, the boolean false results in returning the string value 'falseExp'. A more realistic example follows:

  • Java

  • Kotlin

parser.parseExpression("name").setValue(societyContext, "IEEE");
societyContext.setVariable("queryName", "Nikola Tesla");

expression = "isMember(#queryName)? #queryName + ' is a member of the ' " +
		"+ Name + ' Society' : #queryName + ' is not a member of the ' + Name + ' Society'";

String queryResultString = parser.parseExpression(expression)
		.getValue(societyContext, String.class);
// queryResultString = "Nikola Tesla is a member of the IEEE Society"
parser.parseExpression("name").setValue(societyContext, "IEEE")
societyContext.setVariable("queryName", "Nikola Tesla")

expression = "isMember(#queryName)? #queryName + ' is a member of the ' " + "+ Name + ' Society' : #queryName + ' is not a member of the ' + Name + ' Society'"

val queryResultString = parser.parseExpression(expression)
		.getValue(societyContext, String::class.java)
// queryResultString = "Nikola Tesla is a member of the IEEE Society"

See the next section on the Elvis operator for an even shorter syntax for the ternary operator.