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WordPress PHP for WordPress PHP Basics for WordPress Custom Loops

Carlos Enrique Castañeda Gutiérrez
Carlos Enrique Castañeda Gutiérrez
13,886 Points
Posted by Carlos Enrique Castañeda Gutiérrez
Carlos Enrique Castañeda Gutiérrez
13,886 Points

Why the IF statement use ": endif" instead of "{}" ?

Hello:

I've been following the PHP development track before enter to this Wordpress Development Track.

In all previous PHP courses the "if statement" and "while blocks" uses brackets {} not ": endif " or ": endwhile".

Is this a convention in Wordpress Development? Can I use brackets instead or not?

Thanks

1 Answer

Joe Klovance
Joe Klovance
3,275 Points

This falls in the category of coding style. Some people like to use brackets some like to use the ":end..." notation. The advantage to the latter is more towards using PHP conditionals and loops where there is output to HTML. For example,

//Pure PHP with brackets
<?php
if ($condition) {
   echo "output";
}?>

//PHP and HTML with brackets
<?php
if ($condition) {?>
   output
<?php } ?>

//PHP and HTML with ":end..." notation
<?php if ($condition):?>
   output
<?php :endif } ?>

Some people prefer the last as the ":endif" gives a clue what opening construct to look for when matching control structures. The bracket could match any other bracket but an ":endif" can only match and "if" construct. You can use either it is up to your style.