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<a href="http://www.codeigniter.com/">Code Igniter Home</a> &nbsp;&#8250;&nbsp;
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Alternate PHP Syntax
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<h1>Alternate PHP Syntax for View Files</h1>

<p>If you do not utilize Code Igniter's <a href="../libraries/parser.html">template engine</a>, you'll be using pure PHP 
in your View files.  To minimize the PHP code in these files, and to make it easier to identify the code blocks it is recommended that you use PHPs alternative 
syntax for control structures and echo statements.  If you are not familiar with this syntax, it allows you to eliminate the braces from your code,
and eliminate "echo" statements.</p>

<h2>Alternative Echos</h2>

<p>Normally to echo, or print out a variable you would do this:</p>

<code>&lt;?php echo $variable; ?></code>

<p>With the alternative syntax you can instead do it this way:</p>

<code>&lt;?=$variable?></code>

<p class="important"><strong>Note:</strong> If you find that the syntax described in this page does not work on your server it might
be that "short tags" are disabled in your PHP ini file.</p>


<h2>Alternative Control Structures</h2>

<p>Controls structures, like <var>if</var>, <var>for</var>, <var>foreach</var>, and <var>while</var> can be 
written in a simplified format as well.  Here is an example using foreach:</p>

<code>
&lt;ul><br />
<br />
<var>&lt;?php foreach($todo as $item): ?></var><br />
<br />
&lt;li><var>&lt;?=$item?></var>&lt;/li><br />
<br />
<var>&lt;?php endforeach ?></var><br />
<br />
&lt;/ul></code>

<p>Notice that there are no braces.  Instead, the end brace is replaced with <var>endforeach</var>.
Each of the control structures listed above has a similar closing syntax:
<var>endif</var>, <var>endfor</var>, <var>endforeach</var>, and <var>endwhile</var></p>

<p>Also notice that instead of using a semicolon after each structure (except the last one), there is a colon.  This is 
important!</p>

<p>Here is another example, using if/elseif/else.  Notice the colons:</p>


<code><var>&lt;?php if ($username == 'sally'): ?></var><br />
<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;h3>Hi Sally&lt;/h3><br />
<br />
<var>&lt;?php elseif ($username == 'joe'): ?></var><br />
<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;h3>Hi Joe&lt;/h3><br />
<br />
<var>&lt;?php else: ?></var><br />
<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;h3>Hi unknown user&lt;/h3><br />
<br />
<var>&lt;?php endif; ?></var></code>



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