ternary.alwaysFalse

Code example

<?php declare(strict_types = 1);

function doFoo(): void
{
    $zero = 0;
    $result = $zero ? 'yes' : 'no';
}

Why is it reported?

The condition of the ternary operator always evaluates to false, which means the "true" branch can never be reached. This typically indicates a logic error, dead code, or a condition that does not express the intended check.

In the example above, $zero is assigned 0, which is always falsy in PHP, so the ternary will always evaluate to 'no'.

How to fix it

Fix the condition so it can actually evaluate to both true and false:

 <?php declare(strict_types = 1);

-function doFoo(): void
+function doFoo(int $value): void
 {
-    $zero = 0;
-    $result = $zero ? 'yes' : 'no';
+    $result = $value > 0 ? 'yes' : 'no';
 }

Or if the condition is intentionally always false, simplify the code by using the false-branch value directly:

 <?php declare(strict_types = 1);

 function doFoo(): void
 {
-    $zero = 0;
-    $result = $zero ? 'yes' : 'no';
+    $result = 'no';
 }