How to refactor these if statements?

I have this code:

<div id="menu">
    <ul>
        <li><span id="menulabel">Your Languages</span></li>
        <?php
        $hotClass = '';
        $newClass = '';
        $topClass = '';
        if ($sort == 'hot')
            $hotClass = 'active';
        else if ($sort == 'new')
            $newClass = 'active';
        else if ($sort == 'top')
            $topClass = 'active';
        ?>
        <li><a id="Hot" href="index.php?sort=hot&page=1" class="<?php echo $hotClass; ?>">Hot&开发者_如何学运维lt;/a></li>
        <li><a id="New" href="index.php?sort=new&page=1" class="<?php echo $newClass; ?>">New</a></li>
        <li><a id="Top" href="index.php?sort=top&page=1" class="<?php echo $topClass; ?>">Top</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>

Depending on which sorting the page is using a different menu item is highlighted to show the user. However, I really dislike this code because the class is empty instead of not present when the list item is not active. Also, every if statement does basically the same thing. Is it possible to refactor this in to something more elegant and readable? Thanks.

You might consider using a ternary here...

<div id="menu">
    <ul>
        <li><span id="menulabel">Your Languages</span></li>
        <li><a id="Hot" href="index.php?sort=hot&page=1" class="<?php echo ($sort == 'hot') ? 'active' : '' ?>">Hot</a></li>
        <li><a id="New" href="index.php?sort=new&page=1" class="<?php echo ($sort == 'new') ? 'active' : '' ?>">New</a></li>
        <li><a id="Top" href="index.php?sort=top&page=1" class="<?php echo ($sort == 'top') ? 'active' : '' ?>">Top</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>

definitely saves a lot of code

In case you're not familiar with the Ternary Operator

(condition) ? 'result if true' : 'result if false'

EDIT

As Matijs Points out

you could even put the entire class declaration inside the operator to avoid ending up with class=""

<li><a id="Hot" href="index.php?sort=hot&page=1" <?php echo ($sort == 'hot') ? 'class="hot"' : '' ?> >Hot</a></li>`

Make a switch with 'hot' 'new' and 'top as cases, or, a method that takes two strings, if the first string matches the '$sort' value, then set the second string to active

<div id="menu">
<ul>
    <li><span id="menulabel">Your Languages</span></li>
    <li><a id="Hot" href="index.php?sort=hot&page=1" class="<?php echo ($sort=='hot')?'active':''; ?>">Hot</a></li>
    <li><a id="New" href="index.php?sort=new&page=1" class="<?php echo ($sort=='new')?'active':''; ?>">New</a></li>
    <li><a id="Top" href="index.php?sort=top&page=1" class="<?php echo ($sort=='top')?'active':''; ?>">Top</a></li>
</ul></div>

If "short_tags" are not enabled. If they are enabled, you can replace <?php echo " with "<?="

Maybe use a loop and array?

<div id="menu">
  <ul>
    <li><span id="menulabel">Your Languages</span></li>
      <?php 
    foreach(array("Hot","New","Top") as $Id) {
      $class = '';
      if ($sort == strtolower($Id)) $class = 'active';
      echo "<li><a id='$Id' href='index.php?sort=".strtolower($Id)."&page=1' class='$class'>$Id</a></li>";
    }
    ?>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div>

Here's another suggestion with some less repetition.

<?php
function sortClass($val) {
  return ($sort == $val) ? 'class="active"' : '';
}
?>
<li><a id="Hot" href="index.php?sort=hot&page=1" <?=sortClass('hot');?> >Hot</a></li>
<li><a id="New" href="index.php?sort=new&page=1" <?=sortClass('new');?> >New</a></li>
<li><a id="Top" href="index.php?sort=top&page=1" <?=sortClass('top');?> >Top</a></li>

Since you're dealing with presentation here (i.e. adding a CSS class that most likely just changes appearance), you could also apply the styling with JavaScript (ala Progressive Enhancement):

<div id="menu" data-sort="<?php echo $sort; ?>">
    <ul>
        <li><span id="menulabel">Your Languages</span></li>
        <li><a id="hot" href="index.php?sort=hot&page=1">Hot</a></li>
        <li><a id="new" href="index.php?sort=new&page=1">New</a></li>
        <li><a id="top" href="index.php?sort=top&page=1">Top</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
var sort = $("#menu").attr("data-sort"); // HTML5 FTW!
$("#menu li." + sort).addClass("active");
</script>

Another possible way that I can think of would be to change your URL parameters. Try This:

<div id="menu">
    <ul>
        <li><span id="menulabel">Your Languages</span></li>
        <li><a id="Hot" href="index.php?hot=active&page=1" class="<?php echo $_GET['hot']; ?>">Hot</a></li>
        <li><a id="New" href="index.php?new=active&page=1" class="<?php echo $_GET['new']; ?>">New</a></li>
        <li><a id="Top" href="index.php?top=active&page=1" class="<?php echo $_GET['top']; ?>">Top</a></li>
    </ul>
</div>