PHP Manual
Prev |  | Next

# Chapter 5. Basic syntax

# Escaping from HTML

There are four ways of escaping from HTML and entering "PHP code mode":

Example 5-1. Ways of escaping from HTML
    1.  <? echo ("this is the simplest, an SGML processing instruction\n"); ?>

    2.  <?php echo("if you want to serve XML documents, do like this\n"); ?>

    3.  <script language="php">
            echo ("some editors (like FrontPage) don't
                  like processing instructions");
        </script>

    4.  <% echo ("You may optionally use ASP-style tags"); %>
        <%= $variable; # This is a shortcut for "<%echo .." %>

The first way is only available if short tags have been enabled. This can be done via the short_tags() function, by enabling the short_open_tag configuration setting in the PHP config file, or by compiling PHP with the --enable-short-tags option to configure.

The fourth way is only available if ASP-style tags have been enabled using the asp_tags configuration setting.

> Note: Support for ASP-style tags was added in 3.0.4.

The closing tag for the block will include the immediately trailing newline if one is present.

Prev | Home | Next
Language Reference | Up | Instruction separation