PHP: PHP tags - Manual

PHP tags

When PHP parses a file, it looks for opening and closing tags, which are <?php and ?> which tell PHP to start and stop interpreting the code between them. Parsing in this manner allows PHP to be embedded in all sorts of different documents, as everything outside of a pair of opening and closing tags is ignored by the PHP parser.

PHP also allows for short tags <? and ?> (which are discouraged because they are only available if enabled with short_open_tag php.ini configuration file directive, or if PHP was configured with the --enable-short-tags option.

If a file is pure 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.


<?php
echo "Hello world";

// ... more code

echo "Last statement";

// the script ends here with no PHP closing tag

add a note

User Contributed Notes 2 notes

down

-11

admin at bharatt dot com dot np ¶

2 years ago


You may want to know that removing semicolon is optional sometime but need to know the condition when it can be removed and when it can't be.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Example 1: PHP script with closing tag at the end.
<?php

// php code

// you can remove semicolon
mysqli_close( $db )
?>

// Example 2: PHP script without closing tag at the end.
<?php

// php code 

// you can't remove semicolon
mysqli_close( $db )

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

down

-75

anisgazig at gmail dot com ¶

3 years ago


Everything inside a pair of opening and closing tag is interpreted by php parser. Php introduced three types of opening and closing tag.
1.Standard tags
<?php ?>
2.Short echo tag
<?=  ?>
here, <?=  is equivalent meaning of "<?php echo" 
3.Short tag
<?   ?>

Standard tag and short echo tag are alwayes available.
But short tag 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.

If a file contains only 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

add a note