Variables in PHP

Variables are "containers" for storing information.

Creating (Declaring) PHP Variables

In PHP, a variable starts with the $ sign, followed by the name of the variable:

Example

<html>
<body>

<?php
$txt = "Hello world!";
$x = 5;
$y = 10.5;

echo $txt;
echo "<br>";
echo $x;
echo "<br>";
echo $y;
?>


</body>
</html>
 
----------OUTPUT-------------

 Hello world!
5
10.5


 -----------------------------
After the execution of the statements above, the variable $txt will hold the value Hello world!, the variable $x will hold the value 5, and the variable $y will hold the value 10.5.
Note: When you assign a text value to a variable, put quotes around the value.
Note: Unlike other programming languages, PHP has no command for declaring a variable. It is created the moment you first assign a value to it.

PHP Variables

A variable can have a short name (like x and y) or a more descriptive name (age, carname, total_volume).
Rules for PHP variables:
  • A variable starts with the $ sign, followed by the name of the variable
  • A variable name must start with a letter or the underscore character
  • A variable name cannot start with a number
  • A variable name can only contain alpha-numeric characters and underscores (A-z, 0-9, and _ )
  • Variable names are case-sensitive ($age and $AGE are two different variables)
  •  
  • Output Variables

    The PHP echo statement is often used to output data to the screen.
    The following example will show how to output text and a variable:

    Example

    <!DOCTYPE html>
    <html>
    <body>

    <?php
    $txt = "W3Schools.com";
    echo "I love $txt!";
    ?>


    </body>
    </html>

    -----Out put----------

    I love W3Schools.com! 

    ---------------------

    PHP is a Loosely Typed Language

    In the example above, notice that we did not have to tell PHP which data type the variable is.
    PHP automatically converts the variable to the correct data type, depending on its value.
    In other languages such as C, C++, and Java, the programmer must declare the name and type of the variable before using it.

    PHP Variables Scope

    In PHP, variables can be declared anywhere in the script.
    The scope of a variable is the part of the script where the variable can be referenced/used.
    PHP has three different variable scopes:
  • local
  • global
  • static

Global and Local Scope

A variable declared outside a function has a GLOBAL SCOPE and can only be accessed outside a function:

Example

     <html>
<body>

<?php


$x = 5; // global scope
 
function myTest() {
     // using x inside this function will generate an error
     echo "<p>Variable x inside function is: $x</p>";
}
myTest();

echo "<p>Variable x outside function is: $x</p>";
?>


</body>
</html>



OUTPUT


Variable x inside function is:
Variable x outside function is: 5

 A variable declared within a function has a LOCAL SCOPE and can only be accessed within that function:


Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<?php
function myTest() {
     $x = 5; // local scope
     echo "<p>Variable x inside function is: $x</p>";
}
myTest();

// using x outside the function will generate an error
echo "<p>Variable x outside function is: $x</p>";
?>


</body>
</html>

--------output is------------

Variable x inside function is: 5
Variable x outside function is:

--------------------------------------

 

 

 



 




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