View source for PHP text generation

The [[PHP]] programming language provides a keyword named '''<code>echo</code>''' which generates text.

In a PHP-based [[web application]], text generated by <code>echo</code> becomes part of the [[Response (computing)|response]] that the [[web server]] return to the [[Client (computing)|client]].

== echo ==

A simple <code>echo</code>:

<pre>
<?php
echo "Hello World";
?>
</pre>

== echo multiple parameters ==

You can use <code>echo</code> with multiple parameters, to combine text and [[PHP variable|PHP variables]].

The example below uses two variables named <code>$word1</code> and <code>$word2</code>.

<pre>
<?php
$word1 = "Hello";
$word2 = "World";
echo $word1, " ", $word2;
?>
</pre>

== Shortcut syntax ==

PHP also provides a shortcut for <code>echo</code>:

<pre>
$msg = "Hello World";
This is HTML, lorem ipsum, <?= $msg ?>, more HTML etc.
</pre>

Shortcuts may be unavailable (switch off) on some servers.  Using shortcuts may not be best practice.
== Using parentheses with echo () ==

<code>echo</code> is sometimes used with parentheses:

<pre>
<?php
echo ( "Hello World" );
?>
</pre>

This does not work when using multiple parameters.

There is no reason to prefer parentheses; they add nothing, so far as I have discovered.

== print ==

PHP has has a <code>print</code> statement, which behaves like <code>echo</code>.

It offers no advantages over <code>echo</code>, and is not commonly used.

== See also ==

* [[PHP]]
* [[PHP variable]]

== External links ==

* [http://php.net/manual/en/function.echo.php echo] @ php.net


[[Category:PHP]]
[[Category:Text]]