And that is where you use the ternary op:

print(
   $answer == 42
   ? "that's the answer"
   : "that is the answer"
);
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The students who have to take Comp Sci One (i teach administer the lab portion, BTW) are usually either Computer Science, Math, Engineering, or Industrial Studies majors. Rarely do the Math majors enjoy C++ ... we GTA's just do whatever we can do get them through the class. Watching them puzzle over differentiating between assignment and equality can be amusing, especially the first time they encounter i = i + 1. The Engineering and IS majors tend to appreciate the course a bit more than the Math majors ... anyone with a different major probably took the course by mistake or because they didn't know any better - but there are a few "rogues" who know what they are doing. Those students and the CS majors are the ones that i focus mainly on - anyone who will be taking more CS courses. Everyone else is just taking the course to fullfill prerequisits, and won't be pursuing programming probably ever again. In other words, about 90% of the class ignores my advice. ;)

jeffa

L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B--
H---H---H---H---H---H---
(the triplet paradiddle with high-hat)