PHP Basics

PHP scripts start with <?php and end with ?>. These tags tell the server to interpret the enclosed code as PHP.

Example

<?php
  // PHP code goes here
?>

In a PHP file, you can write both HTML and PHP code. The PHP code needs to be inside the PHP tags.

Echo and Print Statements

echo and print are two basic ways to output data in PHP. They are almost identical, with some minor differences.

Using Echo

• echo can output one or more strings.
• It’s slightly faster than print.
• Syntax: echo "Hello, World!";

Using Print

• print can only output one string and always returns 1.
• Syntax: print "Hello, World!";

Example

<?php
  echo "Hello, World!";
  print "I'm learning PHP!";
?>

Comments in PHP

Comments are used to explain code and are ignored by the PHP interpreter.

Single-Line Comments

Single-line comments can be made with // or #.

<?php
  // This is a single-line comment
  # This is also a single-line comment
?>

Multi-Line Comments

Multi-line comments start with /* and end with */.

<?php
  /* This is a
     multi-line comment */
?>

Practice Exercise: Try creating a PHP script that uses both echo and print to output different strings. Add comments to explain what your script does.

Conclusion: Understanding these basics sets the foundation for your PHP journey. In our next tutorial, we’ll explore variables and data types in PHP.