PHP Echo and Print - Should I use echo or print in PHP scripts?
PHP uses the language constructs echo and print (not functions). What's more important to you will depend on priorities. I would take into account the following three probable priorities: speed, widespread use, and adaptability.
- Speed: echo is slightly faster (particularly when using the multiple-argument syntax, with elements separated by commas), but the difference is so negligible that it only counts in programs with thousands of loops, when speed really, really matters.
- Widespread Usage: It appears that echo is more frequently used for PHP than print out of habit. Despite the fact that this is just anecdotal, I believe you'll get the same conclusion if you study PHP code from a number of sources.
- Flexibility: I believe print is definitely more flexible than echo in expressing code. Echo has only one "advantage" over print: you can use the following syntax: echo $arg1, $arg2, ... using commas to list your arguments; print does not support the comma syntax. However, you can replace the commas with periods (.) and get exactly the same result in both echo and print: print $arg1. $arg2. .... Thus, this syntax provides zero advantage in flexibility and expression. It is a slight advantage because it results in faster code, as I mentioned in #1, but in 99% of code, this probably doesn't matter.
In this post, we will examine the definitions of echo and print statements in PHP and their fundamental implementation through concrete examples. The results of parameters supplied to the echo are shown on screen. It shows the results of one or more strings, each of which is separated by a comma. In PHP, the print function may only be used with one parameter at a time. Only the strings are output by the print and cannot be used as a variable function in PHP.
PHP echo statement: It is a language construct and never behaves like a function, hence no parenthesis is required. But the developer can use parenthesis if they want. The end of the echo statement is identified by the semi-colon (‘;’). It output one or more strings. We can use ‘echo‘ to output strings, numbers, variables, values, and results of expressions.
<?php
echo "Hello, world!";
?>
// Single Line comment_
// Output is: Hello, World!
PHP print statement: The PHP print statement is similar to the echo statement and can be used alternative to echo many times. It is also a language construct, and so we may not use parenthesis i.e print or print().
<?php
print "Hello, world!";
?>
// Single Line comment_
// Output is: Hello, World!
Difference between Echo and Print in PHP
The main difference between the print and echo statement is that echo does not behave like a function whereas print behaves like a function. The print statement can have only one argument at a time and thus can print a single string. Also, the print statement always returns a value of 1. Like an echo, the print statement can also be used to print strings and variables.
Echo Statement:
- echo accepts a list of arguments (multiple arguments can be passed), separated by commas.
- It returns no value or returns void.
- It displays the outputs of one or more strings separated by commas.
- It is comparatively faster than the print statement.
Print Statement:
- print accepts only one argument at a time.
- It returns the value 1.
- The print outputs only the strings.
- It is slower than an echo statement.