# \[php\] Can someone explain this for me?

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/php-can-someone-explain-this-for-me/78765>\
**Category:** programming\
**Created:** [February 8, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/php-can-someone-explain-this-for-me/78765 "2005-02-08T01:38:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Maniaci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Maniaci](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Maniaci)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/php-can-someone-explain-this-for-me/78765/1 "2005-02-08T01:38:15Z")

</div>

```php

echo ( isset( $_POST['var'] ) ) ? $_POST['var'] : $_POST['var'];

```

I’ve seen it all through phpBB, and I do know that it checks if $\_POST['var] is set, but why the second $\_POST['var]? Why the colon? I’m self tought when it comes to php, and I have never found a referance to this method.