📘Getting Started with PHP
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📜 PHP Syntax – Complete Beginner’s Guide to Writing PHP Code

🧲 Introduction – Why PHP Syntax Matters

Every programming language has rules, and PHP is no exception. Its syntax defines how code should be written to run correctly on a server. Clean, correct syntax is essential for writing maintainable, error-free PHP scripts that interact with web pages, databases, or servers.

🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:

  • How PHP code is written and executed
  • Basic syntax rules like tags, statements, variables, and comments
  • Real examples and best practices for clean coding

🧾 Basic PHP Syntax Rules

PHP scripts are embedded within HTML and use special opening and closing tags:

<?php
// PHP code goes here
?>

✅ Explanation:

  • <?php starts the PHP code block
  • ?> ends it
  • You can write multiple PHP blocks inside an HTML document

🧱 PHP Structure in a File

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<h1>My First PHP Page</h1>

<?php
echo "Hello, world!";
?>

</body>
</html>

✅ Explanation:

  • PHP is embedded inside HTML
  • The echo command outputs content to the browser

✨ PHP Statements

Most PHP statements end with a semicolon (;):

<?php
$a = 5;
$b = 10;
echo $a + $b;
?>

✅ Explanation:

  • $a = 5; and $b = 10; are variable assignments
  • echo prints the result

⚠️ Note: Control structures like if, while, and for do not use semicolons after the condition—only inside the block.

🔤 PHP Variables

Variables start with a dollar sign $ and are case-sensitive:

<?php
$Name = "Alice";
$name = "Bob";
echo $Name;
?>

✅ This will output Alice, not Bob, because $Name and $name are treated as separate variables.

💬 PHP Comments

Use comments to document and explain your code:

// Single-line comment
# Another single-line comment
/*
   Multi-line comment
*/

✅ Best practice: Use comments to describe complex logic, assumptions, or pending improvements.

🔢 PHP is Loosely Typed

PHP uses dynamic typing, meaning you don’t need to declare data types explicitly:

<?php
$num = 10; // Integer
$str = "PHP"; // String
?>

✅ PHP automatically infers the data type based on the assigned value at runtime.

🧪 Echo vs Print

Both are used to output data, but they differ slightly:

<?php
echo "Hello World!";
print "Hello Again!";
?>

✅ echo is slightly faster and doesn’t return a value.
✅ print returns 1, so it can be used in expressions (though rarely needed).

⛔ PHP is Case Sensitive (Partially)

ElementCase Sensitivity
Variables✅ Yes
Function names❌ No
Keywords❌ No
<?php
$foo = "Hi";
echo $FOO; // Notice: Undefined variable $FOO
?>

✅ $FOO is undefined because it’s different from $foo.

🛡️ Output Best Practice: Escaping HTML

When displaying user-generated content, always escape output to avoid security risks:

<?php
$user_input = "<script>alert('XSS');</script>";
echo htmlspecialchars($user_input);
?>

✅ Use htmlspecialchars() to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.

📌 Summary – Recap & Next Steps

PHP syntax is beginner-friendly and forms the foundation of all dynamic web development with PHP. By mastering PHP’s syntax rules, you write more efficient, readable, and secure code.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

  • PHP code starts with <?php and ends with ?>
  • Most statements end with a semicolon (;)
  • PHP variables start with $ and are case-sensitive
  • Comments are used for code documentation
  • PHP uses dynamic typing (loosely typed)
  • Use htmlspecialchars() when echoing user data for safety

⚙️ Real-World Relevance:
Correct PHP syntax is essential for creating CMS platforms, REST APIs, and backend logic that is secure and maintainable by teams.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

❓ Can I omit the closing ?> in PHP files?
✅ Yes. In pure PHP files, omitting ?> is recommended to prevent unwanted whitespace or accidental output at the end of scripts.

❓ Is PHP case-sensitive?
✅ Variables are case-sensitive. However, functions and keywords are not case-sensitive in PHP.

❓ What is the difference between echo and print in PHP?
✅ echo is faster and does not return a value.
✅ print returns 1 and can be used in expressions, but it’s slower.

❓ Can I mix HTML and PHP in a file?
✅ Absolutely! PHP was designed to be embedded in HTML, making it easy to create dynamic pages.

❓ Why do we need a semicolon after PHP statements?
✅ The semicolon marks the end of a statement. Missing it will cause a syntax error—except in some control structures like if or while.

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