# Python Ternary Operator: Inline If-Else Syntax

> Use the ternary operator syntax (x if condition else y) to write concise single-line conditional expressions in Python instead of multi-line if-else blocks

**URL:** https://sentry.io/answers/python-ternary-operator/

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## The Problem

You know that some programming languages make use of a ternary operator to shorten if-else code blocks, but does Python support this kind of syntax? If so, what is the structure of a Python ternary operator?

## The Solution

The ternary operator is used to shorten the code needed to write if-else blocks.

The syntax of ternary operators naturally differs between languages, but in most cases, the operator handles three arguments: the comparison, the result if true, and the result if false.

A normal if-else block takes at least four lines of code. For example, 

```python
if x > y:
  z = x
else:
  z = y
```

The ternary operator lets you shorten an if-else block into a single line of code.

### The Python Ternary Operator

The Python ternary operator follows this syntax:

```python
x if condition else y
```

The operator checks a condition, and returns `x` if the condition is true or `y` if it's not.

Here is an example of a ternary operator use case:

```python
x = 10
y = 5

z = x if x > y else y

print("z = " + str(z))
```

**Output:**

```
z = 10
```

The ternary operator above checks if `x` is greater than `y`, and if it is, assigns the value of `x` (10) to the variable `z`.

### Further reading

If you’re looking for information on Python application monitoring, check out these links from our blog:
 - [Debugging Python Errors](https://blog.sentry.io/debugging-python-errors/)
 - [Getting Started with a Python SDK (docs)](https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/python/)
 - [How Sentry Helps Grofers Meet Unprecedented Delivery Demand](https://sentry.io/customers/grofers/)

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*Source: [sentry.io/answers/python-ternary-operator/](https://sentry.io/answers/python-ternary-operator/)*