PHP does have the shorthand ternary operator `?:`, though, which does what you want here:

  $ php -r 'var_dump(0 || 42);'
  bool(true)
  $ php -r 'var_dump(0 ?: 42);'
  int(42)

Wow. OK, I am a big user of the ternary operator, but I hadn't come across omission of the middle part until now. To be honest, it's not the most accessible syntax (especially if you're coming from another language), but at least I have the option now - thanks!

edit: Just to clarify for anyone else unfamiliar with it:

    $ php -r 'var_dump(42 ?: 0);'
    int(42)

Depending on how far back you have to support (e.g., WordPress is still supporting 5.2), omission of the middle part wasn't supported until PHP 5.3.

5.3 came out seven years ago and isn't even officially supported by the PHP project now, let alone 5.2.

I know all too well, and you'd never catch me running that on any of my own systems. With a large enough install base, it's not uncommon to have a decent number of people on those older versions though.

Actually || is short circuiting and behaves exactly as he described, it returns the first true thing it encounters.

  $ php -a
  Interactive shell
  
  php > echo 1 || die('die');
  1

This echo's 1, it doesn't die.

... ok, i gotta admit i had my Perl hat on for that reply.

You were actually correct -- see my above reply.