title: What does var = var && "*" mean in Javascript
body: <p>I am trying to work out some obfusicated code by reading it, and I was doing pretty well until a came across this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>a = a &amp;&amp; "*"
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Now I am still quite new to Javascript and these shortened uncommon javascript codes are still very foreign to me, this is the first time I have come across them.</p>
  
  <p>Does anybody know what this does? I attempted it in a javascript code tester ad it just returned *, so I do not know.</p>
  
  <p>Also, if anybody knows where I can look to find out what these uncommon lines of code do, that would be very helpful. They are all shortened and are sorts of things like this and</p>
  
  <pre><code>a = a || b
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>(I know what that one does)</p>
  
  <p>But If there is some sort of name for this kind of javascript or a reference I can look at, that would be very helpful, I have been scouring Google for hours.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>