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PHP Tags

PHP, short for Hypertext Preprocessor, is a widely-used open-source server-side scripting language. In this tutorial, we will cover one of the essential aspects of PHP - PHP Tags.

What are PHP Tags?​

PHP tags are used to encapsulate PHP codes which are interpreted and executed by the server. These tags let the server know where PHP scripts are located within an HTML file.

There are four different types of PHP tags:

  1. Standard PHP tags
  2. Short open tags
  3. ASP style tags
  4. HTML script tags

Standard PHP Tags​

The standard PHP tags are the most widely used and recommended. They are supported by all the servers. The syntax for standard PHP tags is as follows:

<?php
// PHP code goes here
?>

All PHP code should be placed within these tags to function properly.

Short Open Tags​

Short open tags are a shorter version of the standard tags. They can be useful for reducing typing, but they are not supported by all servers. Therefore, their usage is not recommended.

The syntax for short open tags is as follows:

<?
// PHP code goes here
?>

ASP Style Tags​

ASP style tags are similar to short open tags, but they are less common. They were introduced to make it easier for ASP developers to convert their code to PHP. However, they are also not supported by all servers.

The syntax for ASP style tags is as follows:

<%
// PHP code goes here
%>

HTML Script Tags​

HTML script tags are used to embed PHP code within HTML. These tags are also not widely supported and their usage is not recommended.

The syntax for HTML script tags is as follows:

<script language="php">
// PHP code goes here
</script>

Conclusion​

It's recommended to use the standard PHP tags because they are widely supported and recognized by all PHP servers. Using other types of tags may lead to compatibility issues, especially when running your scripts on different servers.

Remember, PHP code can be placed anywhere in the document. However, for better readability and maintainability of the code, it's suggested to keep PHP code separate from HTML or other markup languages.

In the next tutorial, we will dive deeper into PHP and explore more about its syntax and features. Till then, happy learning!

Note: PHP tags are not case-sensitive, meaning '<?php', '<?PHP', '<?Php' and so on are all valid and function the same.

This ends our tutorial on PHP Tags. Practice what you have learned, and stay tuned for more tutorials on PHP. Happy coding!