PHP Academy · Lesson

Echo and Print Output

Output data to the browser using echo and print statements.

Echo and Print Output is a free PHP Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the PHP Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Output in PHP

The most common ways to send output to the browser in PHP are echo and print:

echo — language construct, outputs one or more strings, no return value
print — language construct, outputs a single string, always returns 1
Both are not functions — you don't need parentheses

Using echo

echo is the most common output method and is slightly faster than print:

<?php
echo 'Hello, World!';
echo '<br>';
echo 'PHP', ' is', ' great'; // multiple args with comma

$name = 'Alice';
echo "Hello, $name!";  // variable interpolation

Using print

print accepts only one argument and returns 1, so it can be used inside expressions:

<?php
print 'Hello from print';
print('<br>');

// print returns 1
$result = print 'hi'; // prints 'hi'
echo $result;         // 1

Short Echo Tag

Inside HTML templates you can use the short echo syntax <?= ?> instead of <?php echo ?>:

<!-- HTML template -->
<h1><?= $pageTitle ?></h1>
<p>Welcome, <?= htmlspecialchars($username) ?></p>

<!-- equivalent to -->
<h1><?php echo $pageTitle; ?></h1>

printf and sprintf

printf outputs a formatted string; sprintf returns it instead of printing:

<?php
$price = 9.5;
printf('Price: $%.2f', $price);  // Price: $9.50

$formatted = sprintf('%05d', 42); // 00042
echo $formatted;

// %s = string, %d = integer, %f = float

print_r vs var_dump

For debugging complex values use these display functions:

print_r($val) — human-readable output, optional second arg returns the string
var_dump($val) — includes types and lengths, great for debugging
var_export($val) — outputs valid PHP code that recreates the value

Debugging with var_dump

Use var_dump to inspect variables during development:

<?php
$data = ['id' => 1, 'active' => true, 'score' => 9.8];

var_dump($data);
/*
array(3) {
  ["id"]   => int(1)
  ["active"]=> bool(true)
  ["score"] => float(9.8)
}
*/

Heredoc Syntax

Heredoc lets you write multi-line strings with variable interpolation without escaping quotes:

<?php
$name = 'Alice';
$html = <<<EOT
<div class="welcome">
    <h1>Hello, $name!</h1>
    <p>Glad you're here.</p>
</div>
EOT;

echo $html;

Nowdoc Syntax

Nowdoc is like heredoc but uses single-quote delimiter — no variable parsing:

<?php
$name = 'Alice';
$text = <<<'EOT'
Hello $name  — this $name will NOT be replaced.
EOT;

echo $text;
// Hello $name  — this $name will NOT be replaced.

Output Buffering

PHP can capture output into a buffer instead of sending it to the browser immediately:

<?php
ob_start();          // start buffering
echo 'some output';
$content = ob_get_clean(); // capture and stop

// $content = 'some output' — not yet sent to browser
$upper = strtoupper($content);
echo $upper; // SOME OUTPUT

number_format and Locale

Format numbers for human-readable output with number_format():

<?php
$amount = 1234567.891;

echo number_format($amount);           // 1,234,568
echo number_format($amount, 2);        // 1,234,567.89
echo number_format($amount, 2, ',', '.'); // 1.234.567,89 (European)

Quick Check

Which PHP function returns a formatted string without printing it?

Recap: PHP Output

You now know how to output data in PHP:

echo for fast, multi-argument output
print when you need a return value
<?= ?> short tag in templates
printf / sprintf for formatted strings
Heredoc for multi-line interpolated strings
Nowdoc when you don't want interpolation
Output buffering with ob_start()

Next: type juggling and explicit type casting.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Echo and Print Output” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Echo and Print Output” is free to read here on the web, and the PHP Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the PHP Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Echo and Print Output”?

Output data to the browser using echo and print statements. You practise PHP Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start PHP Academy?

No prior experience is required. PHP Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Echo and Print Output” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this PHP Academy lesson?

Yes. Every PHP Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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