Logical assignment operators (||=, &&=, ??=) streamline conditional assignments in JavaScript, making your code cleaner, safer, and easier to read, especially in modern front-end workflows.

Matt Smith

Logical assignment operators (||=, &&=, ??=) introduced in ES2021 combine logical operators with assignment to create shorthand syntax for conditional assignments. The ||= operator assigns when the left side is falsy, &&= assigns when truthy, and ??= assigns only when null or undefined. These operators short-circuit evaluation, improving performance and avoiding side effects. They're particularly useful for setting defaults in component props, global configs, and form data while being more semantically clear than traditional if statements.

Logical assignment operators in JavaScript: small syntax, big wins

Why logical assignment matters in your code