Ken, you can delete the dead post via the edit icon.
The expression "boolean expression" ? "true alternative" : "false alternative" has been inherited from C/C++.
If "boolean expression" is true then the result of the expression is the result of the "true alternative" expression, else it is the result of the "false alternative" expression. The type of the result expression is the "widest" of the types of the two alternatives.
So
true ? 9 : -1.0 will result in 9.0 (a double) being returned, and
false ? 9 : -1.0 will result in -1.0 (also a double) being returned.
Its a bit tricky so look this up in your
Java books because it can appear in Java Certification exams.
-Barry