Using join and ternary operator together

[id007]

The following line throws error, don't know why.

    
my $stmt = join " ", "select * from dbo.server" , ($orderby) ? ";","or
+der by $orderby;" ;

[Corion]

What error does it throw?

Maybe you want to look at what the ternary operator does (in perlop), and how it is spelled?

[hdb]

... check your punctuation ...

[keszler]

?,?
?:!

[id007]

Thanks all for the replies. My syntax and logic both were incorrect. The working code is this: my $stmt = join " ", "select * from dbo.server" , defined($orderby) ? "order by $orderby;" : ";" ;

[boftx]

Just a pet peeve for the most part, but I prefer using parens even when they are not strictly needed just to improve clarity of intent. Seems to help me, anyway.

my $stmt = join(" ", "select * from dbo.server" , (defined($orderby) ?
+ "order by $orderby;" : ";"));

On a side note, I presume you have a space in front of the word "order" in your true clause. I.e. " order by $orderby;" or else you would wind up with SQL that read something like this: select * from dbo.serverorder by .... That would clearly be wrong.

[AnomalousMonk]

... a space in front of the word "order" in your true clause.

That space would be supplied by the  " " join string of the join function.