previous if/then question

[Anon]

If apple is a fruit or a vegetable, print, "you can eat it."

Can this somehow be written in a format similar to this:

$apple = "fruit";
$carrot = "vegetable";
$avacado = "food";
if ($apple == ("fruit" || "vegetable" || "food"))
{
echo "you can eat it";
}

or do I have to list each one, like this:
$apple = "fruit";
$carrot = "vegetable";
$avacado = "food";
if (($apple == "fruit") || ($apple == "vegetable") || ($apple == "food"))
{
echo "you can eat it";
}

[evgeny]

Does it help ?

<?

$eatable=array ("fruit","vegetable","food");
$apple = "fruit";

$carrot = "vegetable";
$avacado = "food";
if (in_array($apple,$eatable)){

echo "you can eat it";
}

?>

Noerd Joeller wrote:

If apple is a fruit or a vegetable, print, "you can eat it."

Can this somehow be written in a format similar to this:

$apple = "fruit";
$carrot = "vegetable";
$avacado = "food";
if ($apple == ("fruit" || "vegetable" || "food"))
{
echo "you can eat it";
}

or do I have to list each one, like this:
$apple = "fruit";
$carrot = "vegetable";
$avacado = "food";
if (($apple == "fruit") || ($apple == "vegetable") || ($apple == "food"))
{
echo "you can eat it";
}

[Anon]

List each one.

PHP's typing rules say that when a nonempty variable (a bit vague that, I know) is used in a context where a boolean is expected, it gets interpreted as meaning "true". Empty variables are conversely treated as false.

So the first construct gets evaluated as:
if($apple==('fruit' || 'vegetable' || 'food'))
if($apple==(true || 'vegetable' || 'food'))
if($apple==(true || 'food'))
if($apple==(true))
if($apple==true)
if($apple)

And since in your example, $apple is 'fruit'

if('fruit')
if(true)

You can eat it.

But then, it would say the same thing if $apple were equal to 'Anglican cathedral';

[warmwind]

Noerd Joeller wrote:

If apple is a fruit or a vegetable, print, "you can eat it."

Can this somehow be written in a format similar to this:

$apple = "fruit";
$carrot = "vegetable";
$avacado = "food";
if ($apple == ("fruit" || "vegetable" || "food"))
{
echo "you can eat it";
}

Try:
if( preg_match("/(fruit|vegetable|food)/",$apple) echo "Is it fresh? Oh ok, if you're hungry. Good fibre too. And good for the teeth and gums.";

You don't need blocking - { and } - if there's only one action if true.