Multi-line

In PHP, multi-line comments are used to provide longer explanations or documentation that spans multiple lines. Multi-line comments begin with /* and end with */. Everything between these delimiters is considered a comment and is ignored by the PHP engine during execution.

Syntax

The syntax for multi-line comments is as follows:

<?php
/*
This is a multi-line comment.
It can span multiple lines.
Use it to provide detailed explanations or documentation.
*/
?>

Example

Here's an example of a multi-line comment in a PHP script:

<?php
/*
This function calculates the sum of two numbers.
It takes two numeric parameters and returns their sum.
Make sure to provide valid numeric arguments when calling this function.
*/
function add($a, $b) {
   return $a + $b;
}
// Call the function with example values
echo add(5, 10);
?>

Usage Scenarios

Multi-line comments are particularly useful in the following scenarios:

• Providing detailed explanations or documentation for a block of code.
• Temporarily commenting out a block of code during development or debugging.
• Adding license information or author details at the beginning of a file.

Temporarily Commenting Out Code

Multi-line comments can be used to temporarily disable a block of code without deleting it:

<?php
/*
echo "This line is commented out and won't be executed.";
echo "This line is also commented out.";
*/
// This line will be executed
echo "Only this line will be executed.";
?>

Using multi-line comments effectively can help improve the readability and maintainability of your code by providing clear and concise documentation and explanations.