What does this symbol mean in PHP <?=

6
votes

What does this symbol mean in PHP <?=?

Example usage:

<h2>Manage Role: > (<?= $myACL->getRoleNameFromID($_GET['roleID']); ?>)</h2>
4
phpsymbols
Whether you use short <?= or long <?php echo, you still need htmlspecialchars(). – bobince
possible duplicate of What does <?= mean? – Kevin
possible duplicate of What does '<?=' mean in PHP? – Jürgen Thelen

4 Answers

11
votes

It's functionally the same as <?php echo $myACL->getRoleNameFromID($_GET['roleID']); ?>

13
votes

To add to Mark's answer: The short_tags option must be enabled for the <?= syntax to be valid. This presents a major portability problem when moving to a server that has this option disabled.

See the PHP Manual for more info on short tags

6
votes

It's the PHP Short Tag equivalent of printing.

From the PHP INI:

Using short tags is discouraged when developing code meant for redistribution ; since short tags may not be supported on the target server.

See "Are PHP Short Tags Acceptable to Use?" on StackOverflow.

1
votes
The <?= ... > tag says to execute whatever is in ... and output the results.