What is the Purpose and Usage of the PHP Short Opening Tag '

<?php echo $a; ?><p><strong>Benefits of "<?=</strong>:**</p><ul><li>Provides a simpler and less verbose way to output PHP variables in HTML templates.</li><li>Enhances code readability and maintainability.</li></ul><p><strong>Availability and Configuration:</strong></p><p>By default, "<?=**" is enabled in PHP versions 5.4.0 and later, regardless of php.ini settings. It ensures compatibility and usability across various PHP environments.</p><p><strong>Example Usage:</strong></p><p>Consider the following code snippet:</p><pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false"><?php

$a = 1;

?>
<?=$a;?><p>This PHP script assigns the value 1 to the variable $a and then outputs the value of $a directly into the HTML markup using "<?=**". The resulting HTML output will be:</p>
<pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false">1