Thomas K was browsing around, trying to give folks some technical help. While doing that, he found a poor, belaguered soul who had been given a task: convert some Java code to Python.

This was the code:

if (xGrad * yGrad <= (float) 0 /*(1)*/
    ? Math.abs(xGrad) >= Math.abs(yGrad) /*(2)*/
        ? (tmp = Math.abs(xGrad * gradMag)) >= Math.abs(yGrad * neMag - (xGrad + yGrad) * eMag) /*(3)*/
            && tmp > Math.abs(yGrad * swMag - (xGrad + yGrad) * wMag) /*(4)*/
        : (tmp = Math.abs(yGrad * gradMag)) >= Math.abs(xGrad * neMag - (yGrad + xGrad) * nMag) /*(3)*/
            && tmp > Math.abs(xGrad * swMag - (yGrad + xGrad) * sMag) /*(4)*/
    : Math.abs(xGrad) >= Math.abs(yGrad) /*(2)*/
        ? (tmp = Math.abs(xGrad * gradMag)) >= Math.abs(yGrad * seMag + (xGrad - yGrad) * eMag) /*(3)*/
            && tmp > Math.abs(yGrad * nwMag + (xGrad - yGrad) * wMag) /*(4)*/
        : (tmp = Math.abs(yGrad * gradMag)) >= Math.abs(xGrad * seMag + (yGrad - xGrad) * sMag) /*(3)*/
            && tmp > Math.abs(xGrad * nwMag + (yGrad - xGrad) * nMag) /*(4)*/
    ) {
    magnitude[index] = gradMag >= MAGNITUDE_LIMIT ? MAGNITUDE_MAX : (int) (MAGNITUDE_SCALE * gradMag);
} else {
    magnitude[index] = 0;
}

I want you to note that this stack of ternaries is in the condition clause of an if. Worse, it also has side effects- several spots do an assignment like (tmp = Math.abs(xGrad * gradMag)). In the ternary.

And even in the if statement body, they’re so on the ternary train that they chuck another ternary on as a boundary check before they set the output value in magnitude[index].

I don’t know what help Thomas gave, but I hope it involved nuking the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.