Note that in php the ternary operator ?: has a left associativity unlike in C and C++ where it has right associativity.
You cannot write code like this (as you may have accustomed to in C/C++):
<?php
$a = 2;
echo (
$a == 1 ? 'one' :
$a == 2 ? 'two' :
$a == 3 ? 'three' :
$a == 4 ? 'four' : 'other');
echo "\n";
// prints 'four'
?>
You need to add brackets to get the results you want:
<?php
$a = 2;
echo ($a == 1 ? 'one' :
($a == 2 ? 'two' :
($a == 3 ? 'three' :
($a == 4 ? 'four' : 'other') ) ) );
echo "\n";
//prints 'two'
?>