PHP Syntax

PHP code follows a simple set of rules. Understanding the basic syntax helps you avoid common errors from the start.

PHP tags

All PHP code goes between an opening <?php and a closing ?> tag.

<?php
echo "Inside PHP tags";
?>

If a file contains only PHP, you can omit the closing tag, which is a common practice.

Statements and semicolons

Each statement must end with a semicolon ;. Forgetting it causes a syntax error.

<?php
echo "Line one";
echo "Line two";

Case sensitivity

Variable names are case sensitive, so $name and $Name are different variables.

<?php
$color = "blue";
echo $color; // blue
echo $Color; // Error: undefined variable

Keywords and function names are NOT case sensitive, so ECHO and echo both work. Still, prefer lowercase for consistency.

<?php
ECHO "This works too";