Introduction:
This tutorial will cover the basic syntax of PHP files.

What is syntax?
Syntax is defined as "the structure of statements in a computer language." and as such refers to the format of the given scripts.

Importance of correct syntax
Having correct syntax in any script is extremely important. If a script has just one syntax error it could produce a lot of further problems and cause a fair bit of damage.

Line Terminators
A line terminator is a character which is used to signify the end of a scripting line - this excludes blank lines, comments, method/function starting lines, and lines only consisting of curly braces. In PHP the line terminator is a semi-colon (;).

PHP Placement
Any PHP scripting must be placed between PHP tags - the ending tag is "?>" while the starting tag can be "<?pphp" or "<?" (without quotes). As well as between PHP tags, PHP scripts can not be placed in standard .htm/.html documents otherwise it will just display all content (tags included) as text.

<strong>Examples/Samples:
PHP Tags:

Starting:

1. <?php
   

Starting #2:

1. <?
   

Ending:

1. ?>
   

Line Terminator:

1. ;