PHP Syntax Last Updated : 05 Sep, 2024 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report PHP, a powerful server-side scripting language used in web development. It’s simplicity and ease of use makes it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced developers. This article provides an overview of PHP syntax. PHP scripts can be written anywhere in the document within PHP tags along with normal HTML. Basic PHP SyntaxPHP code is executed between PHP tags, allowing the integration of PHP code within HTML. The most common PHP tag is <?php ... ?>, which is used to enclose PHP code. The <?php ....?> is called Escaping to PHP. PHP <?php // code ?> The script starts with <?php and ends with ?>. These tags are also called 'Canonical PHP tags'. Everything outside of a pair of opening and closing tags is ignored by the PHP parser. The open and closing tags are called delimiters. Every PHP command ends with a semi-colon (;). Basic Example of PHP PHP <?php // Here echo command is used to print echo "Hello, world!"; ?> OutputHello, world!Embedding PHP in HTMLPHP code can be embedded within HTML using the standard PHP tags. In this example, the <?php echo "Hello, PHP!"; ?> statement dynamically inserts a heading into the HTML document. HTML <!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>PHP Syntax Example</title> </head> <body> <h1><?php echo "Hello, PHP!"; ?></h1> </body> </html> SGML or Short HTML TagsThese are the shortest option to initialize a PHP code. The script starts with <? and ends with ?>. This will only work by setting the short_open_tag setting in the php.ini file to 'on'.Example: PHP <? // Here echo command will only work if // setting is done as said before echo "Hello, world!"; ?> OutputHello, world!Case SensitivityPHP is partially case-sensitive-Keywords (like if, else, while, echo) are not case-sensitive.Variable names are case-sensitive.Example: PHP <?php $Var = "Hello Geeks"; // Outputs: Hello Geeks echo $Var; // Error: Undefined variable $variable echo $var; ?> Comments in PHPComments are used to make code more readable by explaining the purpose of specific code blocks. Comments are ignored by the PHP interpreter.1. Single Line CommentAs the name suggests, these are single line or short relevant explanations that one can add to their code. To add this, we need to begin the line with (//) or (#). PHP <?php // This is a single line comment // These cannot be extended to more lines echo "Hello World!"; # This is also a single line comment ?> OutputHello World!Output: hello world!!!2. Multi-Line or Multiple Line CommentIt is used to accommodate multiple lines with a single tag and can be extended to many lines as required by the user. To add this, we need to begin and end the line with (/*...*/) PHP <?php /* This is a multi line comment In PHP variables are written by adding a $ sign at the beginning.*/ $geek = "Hello World!"; echo $geek; ?> OutputHello World!Variables and Data TypesVariables are used to store data that can be manipulated within PHP. They are declared using the $ symbol followed by the variable name.Declaring VariablesVariables are created by assigning a value to them using the assignment operator (=). PHP $name = "XYZ"; // String $age = 30; // Integer $isEmployed = true; // Boolean Data TypesPHP supports several data types, including:String: A sequence of characters.Integer: Whole numbers.Float (Double): Numbers with a decimal point.Boolean: Represents true or false.Array: A collection of values.Object: An instance of a class.NULL: A special type representing a variable with no value.Resource: A special type that holds a reference to external resources (like database connections).Blocks in PHPIn PHP, multiple statements can be executed simultaneously (under a single condition or loop) by using curly-braces ({}). This forms a block of statements that gets executed simultaneously. PHP <?php $var = 50; if ($var>0){ echo ("Positive as \n"); echo ("greater than 0"); } ?> OutputPositive as greater than 0 Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article PHP Variables C Chinmoy Lenka Improve Article Tags : Misc Web Technologies PHP PHP-basics Practice Tags : Misc Similar Reads PHP Tutorial PHP is a widely used, open-source server-side scripting language primarily designed for web development. It is embedded directly into HTML and generates dynamic content on web pages. It allows developers to handle database interactions, session management, and form handling tasks.PHP code is execute 9 min read BasicsPHP SyntaxPHP, a powerful server-side scripting language used in web development. It’s simplicity and ease of use makes it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced developers. This article provides an overview of PHP syntax. PHP scripts can be written anywhere in the document within PHP tags along with n 4 min read PHP VariablesA variable in PHP is a container used to store data such as numbers, strings, arrays, or objects. The value stored in a variable can be changed or updated during the execution of the script.All variable names start with a dollar sign ($).Variables can store different data types, like integers, strin 5 min read PHP | FunctionsA function in PHP is a self-contained block of code that performs a specific task. It can accept inputs (parameters), execute a set of statements, and optionally return a value. PHP functions allow code reusability by encapsulating a block of code to perform specific tasks.Functions can accept param 8 min read PHP LoopsIn PHP, Loops are used to repeat a block of code multiple times based on a given condition. PHP provides several types of loops to handle different scenarios, including while loops, for loops, do...while loops, and foreach loops. 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When a user visits a website, PHP creates a unique session ID for that user. This session ID is then stored as a cookie in the user's browser (by default) or passed via the URL. The session 7 min read Like