<?=$msg_5048?>

[runrunforest]

Hi,

Can you explain that for me ?

[fattyjules]

It's shorthand for;

<?php echo $msg_5048; ?>

[runrunforest]

thanks mate

[gagan]

Thats the other syntax for the term "echo"

[Stormrider]

Short tags are not recommended for use though, use the 'longhand' version when you code:

<?php echo $msg_5048; ?>

[runrunforest]

Short tags are not recommended for use though, use the 'longhand' version when you code:

<?php echo $msg_5048; ?>

why?

[Stormrider]

Some servers have the option turned off, so it decreases your application's portability, and can be a potential security issue if you tried to use it with the short tags option turned off.

A lot of servers turn it off because the '<?' without the 'php' afterwards can get confused with the XML document 'prolog', which also starts '<?'.

[fattyjules]

I find short tags fantastically useful for templates, e.g.;

<h2>My shoes</h2>

<? foreach($visitor->shoes AS $shoe): ?>

<p><?= $shoe ?></p>

<? endforeach; ?>

But in 'normal' PHP, I use the full <?php ... ?> tags.

[Stormrider]

Yes, and that is what they were originally designed for, but you have to be careful because it won't work on all servers.

[PHP Monkey]

Some servers have the option turned off, so it decreases your application's portability, and can be a potential security issue if you tried to use it with the short tags option turned off.

A lot of servers turn it off because the '<?' without the 'php' afterwards can get confused with the XML document 'prolog', which also starts '<?'.

Ah, I have always wondered why admins would turn it off. Thanks!

[Stormrider]

Another reason I have literally just discovered.. running php from the command line appears to be ignoring the short tags setting in the ini file, and outputting all the files that use short tags (not my site, I didn't put them there!)