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<refentry xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xml:id="function.echo">
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>echo</refname>
  <refpurpose>Output one or more strings</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>
 
 <refsect1 role="description">
  &reftitle.description;
  <methodsynopsis>
   <type>void</type><methodname>echo</methodname>
   <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>arg1</parameter></methodparam>
   <methodparam choice="opt"><type>string</type><parameter>...</parameter></methodparam>
  </methodsynopsis>
  <simpara>
   Outputs all parameters.
  </simpara>
  <para>
   <function>echo</function> is not actually a function (it is a
   language construct), so you are not required to use parentheses
   with it. <function>echo</function> (unlike some other language
   constructs) does not behave like a function, so it cannot
   always be used in the context of a function. Additionally, if you want to
   pass more than one parameter to <function>echo</function>, the parameters
   must not be enclosed within parentheses.
  </para>
  <para>
   <function>echo</function> also has a shortcut syntax, where you can
   immediately follow the opening tag with an equals sign. This short syntax
   only works with the <link
   linkend="ini.short-open-tag">short_open_tag</link> configuration setting
   enabled.
   <informalexample>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
I have <?=$foo?> foo.
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </informalexample>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="parameters">
  &reftitle.parameters;
  <para>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>arg1</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       The parameter to output.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><parameter>...</parameter></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="returnvalues">
  &reftitle.returnvalues;
  <para>
   &return.void;
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="examples">
  &reftitle.examples;
  <para>
   <example>
    <title><function>echo</function> examples</title>
    <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
echo "Hello World";

echo "This spans
multiple lines. The newlines will be
output as well";

echo "This spans\nmultiple lines. The newlines will be\noutput as well.";

echo "Escaping characters is done \"Like this\".";

// You can use variables inside of an echo statement
$foo = "foobar";
$bar = "barbaz";

echo "foo is $foo"; // foo is foobar

// You can also use arrays
$baz = array("value" => "foo");

echo "this is {$baz['value']} !"; // this is foo !

// Using single quotes will print the variable name, not the value
echo 'foo is $foo'; // foo is $foo

// If you are not using any other characters, you can just echo variables
echo $foo;          // foobar
echo $foo,$bar;     // foobarbarbaz

// Some people prefer passing multiple parameters to echo over concatenation.
echo 'This ', 'string ', 'was ', 'made ', 'with multiple parameters.', chr(10);
echo 'This ' . 'string ' . 'was ' . 'made ' . 'with concatenation.' . "\n";

echo <<<END
This uses the "here document" syntax to output
multiple lines with $variable interpolation. Note
that the here document terminator must appear on a
line with just a semicolon. no extra whitespace!
END;

// Because echo does not behave like a function, the following code is invalid.
($some_var) ? echo 'true' : echo 'false';

// However, the following examples will work:
($some_var) ? print 'true' : print 'false'; // print is also a construct, but
                                            // it behaves like a function, so
                                            // it may be used in this context.
echo $some_var ? 'true': 'false'; // changing the statement around
?>
]]>
    </programlisting>
   </example>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="notes">
  &reftitle.notes;
  <simpara>
   For a short discussion about the differences between
   <function>print</function> and <function>echo</function>, see this FAQTs
   Knowledge Base Article: <link xlink:href="&url.echo-print;">&url.echo-print;
   </link>
  </simpara>
  &note.language-construct;
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1 role="seealso">
  &reftitle.seealso;
  <para>
   <simplelist>
    <member><function>print</function></member>
    <member><function>printf</function></member>
    <member><function>flush</function></member>
   </simplelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>

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