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echo vs print

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2003 9:59 pm
by d3ad1ysp0rk
I looked at the manuel, and searched the forums for a topic on this, but I still can't find anything..

Is there any difference, and what is it?

And which do you prefer using?


I use echo.. because that's what I was taught

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2003 10:42 pm
by m3mn0n
echo; it's less characters than print. =P

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 3:32 am
by twigletmac
Same as Sami, using print() means more typing :).

Basically there is no difference between echo() and print(), except print() returns a success or failure value - I've never seen anyone use that functionality...

Mac

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 4:49 am
by JayBird
Which is faster, echo or print?

There is a difference between the two, but speed-wise it
should be irrelevant which one you use. print() behaves
like a function in that you can do:

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$ret = print "Hello World";
And $ret will be 1

That means that print can be used as part of a more complex
expression where echo cannot. print is also part of the
precedence table which it needs to be if it is to be used
within a complex expression. It is just about at the bottom
of the precendence list though. Only "," AND, OR and XOR
are lower.

echo is marginally faster since it doesn't set a return
value if you really want to get down to the nitty gritty.

If the grammar is:

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echo expression [, expression[, expression] ... ]
Then

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echo ( expression, expression )
is not valid. ( expression ) reduces to just an expression
so this would be valid:

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echo ("howdy"),("partner");
but you would simply write this as:

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echo "howdy","partner";
if you wanted to use two expression. Putting the brackets
in there serves no purpose since there is no operator
precendence issue with a single expression like that.

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:06 am
by m3rajk
twigletmac wrote:Same as Sami, using print() means more typing :).

Basically there is no difference between echo() and print(), except print() returns a success or failure value - I've never seen anyone use that functionality...

Mac
ditto ^^^^

i think most are like this... however, when getting into big chunks, most ppl use echo<<<END

big chunk

END;

since heredoc is really simple to use and it's easier to insert little things instead fo going in and out via <??>

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:26 am
by Nay
Did someone say heredoc again? :lol:

Well, here's my 3 cents. Honestly I've never, well, not never - ever since I started PHP, I've been using echo(). I don't notice a significant difference but I still use echo, since my hands are always used to typing echo lol.

-Nay