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Search docs PHP 8.5.4 Released! Getting Started Introduction A simple tutorial Language Reference Basic syntax Types Variables Constants Expressions Operators Control Structures Functions Classes and Objects Namespaces Enumerations Errors Exceptions Fibers Generators Attributes References Explained Predefined Variables Predefined Exceptions Predefined Interfaces and Classes Predefined Attributes Context options and parameters Supported Protocols and Wrappers Security Introduction General considerations Installed as CGI binary Installed as an Apache module Session Security Filesystem Security Database Security Error Reporting User Submitted Data Hiding PHP Keeping Current Features HTTP authentication with PHP Cookies Sessions Handling file uploads Using remote files Connection handling Persistent Database Connections Command line usage Garbage Collection DTrace Dynamic Tracing Function Reference Affecting PHP's Behaviour Audio Formats Manipulation Authentication Services Command Line Specific Extensions Compression and Archive Extensions Cryptography Extensions Database Extensions Date and Time Related Extensions File System Related Extensions Human Language and Character Encoding Support Image Processing and Generation Mail Related Extensions Mathematical Extensions Non-Text MIME Output Process Control Extensions Other Basic Extensions Other Services Search Engine Extensions Server Specific Extensions Session Extensions Text Processing Variable and Type Related Extensions Web Services Windows Only Extensions XML Manipulation GUI Extensions Keyboard Shortcuts? This help j Next menu item k Previous menu item g p Previous man page g n Next man page G Scroll to bottom g g Scroll to top g h Goto homepage g s Goto search(current page) / Focus search box Escaping from HTML » « Basic syntax

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PHP tags

When PHP processes a file, it recognizes the opening and closing tags, <?php and ?>, to define the boundaries of PHP code execution. Content outside these tags is ignored by the PHP parser, allowing PHP to seamlessly embed in various document types.

A whitespace character (space, tab, or newline) must follow <?php to ensure proper token separation. Omitting this whitespace will result in a syntax error.

PHP also includes the short echo tag <?=, which is shorthand for <?php echo.

Example #1 PHP Opening and Closing Tags

1. <?php echo 'if you want to serve PHP code in XHTML or XML documents, use these tags'; ?>2. You can use the short echo tag to <?= 'print this string' ?>. It's equivalent to <?php echo 'print this string' ?>.3. <? echo 'this code is within short tags, but will only work '. 'if short_open_tag is enabled'; ?>

Short tags (example three) are available by default but can be disabled either via the short_open_tag php.ini configuration file directive, or are disabled by default if PHP is built with the --disable-short-tags configuration.

Note:

As short tags can be disabled it is recommended to only use the normal tags (<?php ?> and <?= ?>) to maximise compatibility.

If a file ends with PHP code, it is preferable to omit the PHP closing tag at the end of the file. This prevents accidental whitespace or new lines being added after the PHP closing tag, which may cause unwanted effects because PHP will start output buffering when there is no intention from the programmer to send any output at that point in the script.

Example #2 PHP Code Only File

<?phpecho "Hello world\n";// ... more codeecho "Last statement\n";// the script ends here with no PHP closing tag

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• Basic syntax
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