Given the code fragment: int x = 100; int a = x++; int b = ++x; int c = x++; int d = (a < b) ? (a < c) ? a : (b < c) ? b : c; System.out.println(d); What is the result?

The correct answer is E. Compilation fails. Option E is correct because the outer ternary expression (a < b) ? (a < c) ? a : (b < c) ? b : c is syntactically incomplete - it has three ? operators but only two : operators, leaving the outer ternary's false-branch missing. Every ternary requires the form condition ?…

Using Operators and Decision Constructs

Question

Given the code fragment:
int x = 100;
int a = x++;
int b = ++x;
int c = x++;
int d = (a < b) ? (a < c) ? a : (b < c) ? b : c;
System.out.println(d);
What is the result?

Options

A100
B101
C102
D103
ECompilation fails

How the community answered

(30 responses)

A
7% (2)
B
3% (1)
C
10% (3)
D
20% (6)
E
60% (18)

Explanation

Option E is correct because the outer ternary expression (a < b) ? (a < c) ? a : (b < c) ? b : c is syntactically incomplete - it has three ? operators but only two : operators, leaving the outer ternary's false-branch missing. Every ternary requires the form condition ? trueExpr : falseExpr, and Java's compiler enforces this strictly, producing a compile-time error before any values are ever computed. The numeric distractors (100, 101, 102, 103) map to the actual runtime values of a, intermediate steps, c, and final x respectively - they're traps for students who compute the post/pre-increment arithmetic correctly but miss the structural defect in the expression. Memory tip: Before evaluating ternary logic, count the ? and : symbols - they must match one-to-one; a mismatch means the code never runs.

Topics

#Ternary operator#Operator syntax#Pre/Post-increment#Parsing

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