PHP Lab #3: Variables

1. A PHP variable is a symbol used to store a value. For example, add the following assignment statement to your hello.php.

   $sentence = "The moose is brooding";

2. Now use this variable by adding the following line to your hello.php, after the above:

   print("The sentence is: $sentence <BR>");

   Your web page should show "The sentence is: The moose is brooding".

3. Variables can also be set equal to numbers. Try adding the following to hello.php, and see what happens:

   $x = 3;
   print($x);
   print("<BR>");
   $x = 3.14159265;
   print($x);
   print("<BR>");
   $x = "My pen is leaking.";
   print($x);
   print("<BR>");
   

4. Some things to note:

   1. Whenever you mention a variable to PHP, give it a dollar sign.
   2. Variable names are case sensitive, so $var is not the same as $VAR.

5. Try the following PHP code and see what happens.

   $a = 5;
   $b = 3;
   print($a * $b);
   print("<BR>");
   print($a / $b);
   print("<BR>");
   print($a % $b);
   print("<BR>");
   

   Answer the following questions.
   • What does * do?
   • What does / do?
   • What does % do? Experiment with different numbers for $a and $b to help you figure this out.

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Page by Michelle Phillips, Jeff Ondich, and Dave Musicant. Last updated 10.03.02