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while> <elseif/else if
Last updated: Fri, 21 Nov 2008

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Alternative syntax for control structures

PHP offers an alternative syntax for some of its control structures; namely, if, while, for, foreach, and switch. In each case, the basic form of the alternate syntax is to change the opening brace to a colon (:) and the closing brace to endif;, endwhile;, endfor;, endforeach;, or endswitch;, respectively.

<?php if ($a == 5): ?>
A is equal to 5
<?php endif; ?>

In the above example, the HTML block "A is equal to 5" is nested within an if statement written in the alternative syntax. The HTML block would be displayed only if $a is equal to 5.

The alternative syntax applies to else and elseif as well. The following is an if structure with elseif and else in the alternative format:

<?php
if ($a == 5):
    echo 
"a equals 5";
    echo 
"...";
elseif (
$a == 6):
    echo 
"a equals 6";
    echo 
"!!!";
else:
    echo 
"a is neither 5 nor 6";
endif;
?>

See also while, for, and if for further examples.



while> <elseif/else if
Last updated: Fri, 21 Nov 2008
 
add a note add a note User Contributed Notes
Alternative syntax for control structures
mido_alone2001 at yahoo dot com
07-Nov-2008 06:05
Hello , when you going to make a script , you must try easist way to do and fastest way to parse ..
using alternative-syntax is very useful to shorten your code
e.g :
If you want to do :
<?php
    $a
=1 ;
if (
$a=1) {
     echo
"<table border=1><tr><td>$a is equal to one    </td></tr></table> " ;
}
?>
You can do it using alternative-syntax as following :

<?php
    $a
=1 ;
if (
$a=1) :?>
<table border=1><tr><td><?echo $a ;?> &nbsp;is equal to one </td></tr></table>
<?php endif ; ?>

So the HTML code Won't excuted until the condition is true
jeremia at gmx dot at
28-Jan-2008 06:52
If you wan't to use the alternative syntax for switch statements this won't work:

<div>
<?php switch($variable): ?>
<?php
case 1: ?>
<div>
Newspage
</div>
<?php break;?>
<?php
case 2: ?>
</div>
Forum
<div>
<?php break;?>
<?php
endswitch;?>
</div>

Instead you have to workaround like this:

<div>
<?php switch($variable):
case
1: ?>
<div>
Newspage
</div>
<?php break;?>
<?php
case 2: ?>
</div>
Forum
<div>
<?php break;?>
<?php
endswitch;?>
</div>
php dot net at eoasys dot com
24-Oct-2007 03:03
In response to spa:

Yeah, that's for sure! Seems so obvious, but remains a tough sell... I avoid the "Bracket Racket", and use it only where the (ahem) "Clearer Syntax" wasn't implemented.

A further improvement would be a "Noun-Verb" form of end structures. Such as:

if (...):
  while (...):
    ...
    if (...):
      ...
      ...
    ifend;
    ...
  whileend;
ifend;

This would make it yet another level of easier to tell which block end you're looking at. ;-)
spa
16-Oct-2007 04:40
[EDITOR'S NOTE: reference to deleted note removed]

The end_; structure sometimes makes it easier to tell which block statement end you are looking at.  It's much harder to tell which nested block a } belongs to than an end_;
skippy at zuavra dot net
27-Jun-2005 04:32
If it needs saying, this alternative syntax is excellent for improving legibility (for both PHP and HTML!) in situations where you have a mix of them.

Interface templates are very often in need of this, especially since the PHP code in them is usually written by one person (who is more of a programmer) and the HTML gets modified by another person (who is more of a web designer). Clear separation in such cases is extremely useful.

See the default templates that come with WordPress 1.5+ (www.wordpress.org) for practical and smart examples of this alternative syntax.
i a m 4 w e b w o r k at hotmail dot com
12-Oct-2003 04:38
Good tutorial on using alternative control structure syntax at:
http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/php/2001/05/03/php_foundations.html?page=1

while> <elseif/else if
Last updated: Fri, 21 Nov 2008
 
 
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