When Initializing Constant Variables, Is the Ternary Operator Faster Than an if()...else Statement?

Is the ?: Operator Faster than if()...else Statements in C ?

In C , the ternary operator (?:) and the if()...else statement provide conditional branching capabilities. However, their performance is not identical.

Speed Comparison

The ternary operator is not inherently faster than the if()...else statement. In compiled code, both constructs translate to assembly instructions that perform conditional branching. The overhead of evaluating the condition and selecting the appropriate branch is similar for both operators.

The Exception

However, there is one important exception to this general rule. When initializing a constant variable based on a conditional expression, the ternary operator offers a unique advantage. Consider the following example:

In this case, the compiler can optimize the expression by creating a constant variable initialized to the result of the comparison without needing to generate any branching code.

This optimization is not possible with an if()...else statement because non-constant variables cannot be initialized with an expression. Instead, the compiler must generate branching code for the conditional statement.

Therefore, while the ?: operator does not generally offer faster execution, it provides a unique advantage when initializing constant variables based on conditional expressions.

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