Embed PHP in HTML using ":" operator

Question

Hi. In an effort to produce cleaner PHP files, I want to echo less HTML and embed more PHP. I've stumbled upon constructs like the following:

<?php
foreach($allOGroups as $ogroup):
if($lastGroup != $ogroup['group']):
if($lastGroup !== null):
?>

</optgroup>

<?php
endif;
?>

I've googled for a while now but can't seem to find a tutorial on how to use this mysterious ":" operator. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks, MrB

Answer 1

Alternative syntax for control structures:

if ($a == $b) {
    echo $a;
}

// is same as:
if ($a == $b):
    echo $a;
endif;

This syntax was introduced to make embedding PHP in HTML easier. By telling which block to close the code becomes more understandable.

Answer 2

It's a feature of PHP's conditional constructs. Instead of using braces to punctuate the block, you use : and the corresponding keyword.

Also, it has nothing to do with embedding PHP or HTML.

Answer 3

As you have discovered, the mysterious : is simply an alternative syntax to opening and closing curly brackets. It's most effective when you're mingling PHP with HTML, since it makes it easier to discover whether you're closing an if, for, foreach or while structure.

if($foo):
  // Do something
endif;

for($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++):
  // Do something
endfor;

foreach($foo as $k, $v){
  // Do something
endforeach;

while($foo):
  // Do something
endwhile;

Answer 4

: isn't an operator, it's simply part of an alternative syntax for control structures. Personally, I wouldn't use it. There's no benefit over using 'standard' syntax, and I think it's marginally harder to read.