How to Use Inline If in Ruby: Simple Syntax and Examples

In Ruby, you can use an inline if by placing the condition after the statement, like puts 'Hello' if true. This runs the statement only if the condition is true, making your code concise and easy to read.

Syntax

The inline if in Ruby lets you write a condition after a statement. It looks like this:

• statement if condition

Here, statement runs only when condition is true.

ruby

puts 'Hello' if true
puts 'World' if false

Output

Hello

Example

This example shows how to print a message only if a number is positive using inline if.

ruby

number = 5
puts 'Number is positive' if number > 0

number = -3
puts 'Number is positive' if number > 0

Output

Number is positive

Common Pitfalls

One common mistake is putting the if before the statement, which is not inline syntax. Also, avoid complex expressions inline as it hurts readability.

ruby

puts 'Hello' if true  # Correct inline if

if true then puts 'Hello' end  # Incorrect inline if syntax

Output

Hello

Quick Reference

Usage	Description
statement if condition	Runs statement only if condition is true
statement unless condition	Runs statement only if condition is false
statement if condition1 && condition2	Runs statement if both conditions are true

Key Takeaways

Use inline if by placing the condition after the statement for concise code.

Inline if runs the statement only when the condition is true.

Avoid complex logic in inline if to keep code readable.

Remember the syntax: statement if condition.

Use unless inline for the opposite condition.