The Short if: ? :

A tiny if/else

When you just need to pick one of two values, the ternary operator fits it in one line:

condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int number = 7;
        String kind = (number % 2 == 0) ? "even" : "odd";
        System.out.println(number + " is " + kind);

        int a = 12, b = 30;
        int bigger = (a > b) ? a : b;
        System.out.println("Bigger: " + bigger);
    }
}

Output

7 is odd
Bigger: 30

Read it as: “Is the number even? If yes, "even", otherwise "odd".”

Tip: Use ? : only for short, simple choices. For anything bigger, a normal if/else is easier to read.