PHP's `print` vs. `echo`: What are the Key Differences and When Should I Use Each?

Comparing PHP's Print and Echo Constructs

PHP provides two constructs, print and echo, for displaying output. Despite their apparent distinction, they share similarities and key differences.

Syntax

Echo is a statement that accepts multiple expressions, while print is an expression that can hold a single expression. Syntactically, echo expr, expr, ..., expr is a statement, whereas print expr is an expression.

Return Value

Print returns a value of 1, making it useful for inclusion in conditional expressions. Echo, on the other hand, does not return any value.

Evaluation

Print evaluates its argument as a string and streams it to the output buffer. Echo behaves similarly to print, but it evaluates and streams each expression individually.

Runtime Differences

Internally, print incurs a minor overhead due to populating a temporary return variable. Echo, on the other hand, directly delegates the output operation to a dedicated SAPI function.

Speed

The speed difference between echo and print is negligible. However, using echo to output multiple expressions without concatenation can be more efficient than evaluating and concatenating them prior to printing.

Usage Recommendations

In web applications, echo is often preferred due to its frequent use in templates (via

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