PHP and Echo
As any beginner PHP could tell you, the echo function outputs data to the screen (or command line depending on how you're using PHP). Some, however, may not know that PHP's "echo()" isn't really a function at all. From PHP.net:
"echo() is not actually a function (it is a language construct), so you are not required to use parentheses with it. echo() (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 echo(), the parameters must not be enclosed within parentheses."
So, instead of traditionally coding this...
echo("The MD5 of $text is: ".md5($text)."!");
...you can actually do this...
echo "The MD5 of $text is: ",md5($text),'!';
In fact, separating strings with commas is faster than concatenation! With a name like echo, it should be a bit crazy, right?
![Create Namespaced Classes with MooTools]()
MooTools has always gotten a bit of grief for not inherently using and standardizing namespaced-based JavaScript classes like the Dojo Toolkit does. Many developers create their classes as globals which is generally frowned up. I mostly disagree with that stance, but each to their own. In any event...
![Create a Sheen Logo Effect with CSS]()
I was inspired when I first saw Addy Osmani's original ShineTime blog post. The hover sheen effect is simple but awesome. When I started my blog redesign, I really wanted to use a sheen effect with my logo. Using two HTML elements and...
![Create a Sheen Logo Effect with CSS]()
I was inspired when I first saw Addy Osmani's original ShineTime blog post. The hover sheen effect is simple but awesome. When I started my blog redesign, I really wanted to use a sheen effect with my logo. Using two HTML elements and...
![Fancy Navigation with MooTools JavaScript]()
Navigation menus are traditionally boring, right? Most of the time the navigation menu consists of some imagery with a corresponding mouseover image. Where's the originality? I've created a fancy navigation menu that highlights navigation items and creates a chain effect.
The XHTML
Just some simple...
Whoa the comma thing is a mindfreak. That saves some concatenated html output hell.
“In fact, separating strings with commas is faster than concatenation!”
I’m not sure what you mean by this? How is it faster?
I don’t think I have ever used parentheses with the echo. It’s weird to me to see it done like that.
@deef: It’s faster because PHP doesn’t need to continuously concatenate string upon string — commas allow for “Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!” instead of “……….BOOM!”.
@mark: I was high-horse about it for a while. To me it was a function so “echo()” was “best form.” Foolish, I was.
I ran a quick test to see if I would notice some speed differences using the commas, noticed about 10% output speed increase in the test script. Funny… didn’t kow about it. Thank you!
Well, I always use echo; I didn’t actually know you could do echo(), but no matter. Not a function? Strange.
I read about the comma versus dot thing on an optimization post. According to this guy’s tests is was nowhere near 10%, but commas were still faster nonetheless.
http://making-the-web.com/2007/08/24/tips-for-faster-php-scripts/
I always hated the concatenation! but didnt know that commas do it faster.
Thanks
Find an interesting PHP-Benchmark.
Somewhere down the page, there is also an echo-Benchmark.
Seems like commas are not allways faster.
http://www.phpbench.com/
Find => Found
allways => always
It was to early in the morning, sorry! :-)
http://www.phpbench.com/
The author only compares echo with commas/periods using either all string or all variable. I’d be interested in seeing a comparison using some combination of both variables and commas.. something like
$a = ‘bbbbbb’;
echo ‘aaaaaa’,$b,’aaaaaa’,$b;
vs
echo ‘aaaaaa’.$b.’aaaaaa’.$b;