PHP Comments

Comments in PHP are essential for enhancing code readability and understanding. They are ignored by the PHP engine, allowing developers to provide context and explanations for their code, making it easier for others (and themselves) to understand the purpose and functionality.

Key Concepts

• Purpose of Comments
  • Improve code readability.
  • Provide explanations or notes for yourself and other developers.
  • Temporarily disable code without deleting it.

Types of Comments

PHP supports three main types of comments:

1. Single-Line Comments
   • Begin with // or #.
   • Ideal for brief explanations.
2. Multi-Line Comments
   • Enclosed between /* and */.
   • Suitable for longer explanations or commenting out blocks of code.
3. Documentation Comments
   • Utilized for generating documentation with tools like PHPDoc.
   • Start with /** and end with */.

Example:

 /**
 * This function adds two numbers.
 *
 * @param int $a The first number
 * @param int $b The second number
 * @return int The sum of $a and $b
 */
function add($a, $b) {
 return $a + $b;
}

Example:

 /*
 This is a multi-line comment.
 It can span multiple lines.
 */
$y = 10;

Example:

 // This is a single-line comment
$x = 5; // Assign 5 to x

Best Practices

• Use comments to explain why something is done, not just what is done.
• Keep comments up to date as code evolves.
• Avoid over-commenting; strive for clarity in your code itself.

By employing comments effectively, you can significantly enhance the maintainability and comprehensibility of your PHP scripts.