Basic syntax
If you are embedding this in XML, you had better place the ending '?>' there or the XML parser will puke on you. XML parsers do not like processing instructions without end tags, regardless of what PHP does.
If you're doing HTML like 90% of the world, or if you are going to process/interpret the PHP before the XML parser ever sees it, then you can likely get away with it, but it's still not best practice for XML.
Instruction separation
As in C or Perl, PHP requires instructions to be terminated with a semicolon at the end of each statement. The closing tag of a block of PHP code automatically implies a semicolon; you do not need to have a semicolon terminating the last line of a PHP block. The closing tag for the block will include the immediately trailing newline if one is present.
<?php
echo 'This is a test';
?>
<?php echo 'This is a test' ?>
<?php echo 'We omitted the last closing tag';
Note: The closing tag of a PHP block at the end of a file is optional, and in some cases omitting it is helpful when using include() or require(), so unwanted whitespace will not occur at the end of files, and you will still be able to add headers to the response later. It is also handy if you use output buffering, and would not like to see added unwanted whitespace at the end of the parts generated by the included files.
add a note
User Contributed NotesInstruction separation
james dot d dot noyes at lmco dot com
05-May-2008 11:42
05-May-2008 11:42
Krishna Srikanth
17-Aug-2006 04:44
17-Aug-2006 04:44
Do not mis interpret
<?php echo 'Ending tag excluded';
with
<?php echo 'Ending tag excluded';
<p>But html is still visible</p>
The second one would give error. Exclude ?> if you no more html to write after the code.
